Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Issues Q4 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• Qualcomm guided for Q4 2026 EPS of $2.05–$2.25 and revenue of $9.7–$10.5 billion, broadly around Wall Street expectations of $2.23 EPS and $10.0 billion in revenue.
• Shares fell 4.4% to $155.68, while analysts maintained a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $222.77.
• Qualcomm declared a quarterly dividend of $0.92 per share, implying an annualized payout of $3.68 and a 2.4% yield; BMW and the Modular acquisition were highlighted as potential automotive and AI growth catalysts.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM - Get Free Report) updated its fourth quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 2.050-2.250 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 2.230. The company issued revenue guidance of $9.7 billion-$10.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $10.0 billion.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently weighed in on QCOM. Melius Research set a $220.00 price objective on Qualcomm in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Oppenheimer set a $200.00 price target on Qualcomm in a report on Monday. Freedom Capital downgraded Qualcomm from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Craig Hallum cut shares of Qualcomm from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on shares of Qualcomm from $175.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $222.77.

Qualcomm Stock Down 4.4%

Shares of Qualcomm stock traded down $7.20 on Wednesday, reaching $155.68. 18,670,956 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 16,549,586. Qualcomm has a 1-year low of $121.99 and a 1-year high of $259.92. The company has a market cap of $164.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.05 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 2.37 and a quick ratio of 1.61. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $202.20 and its 200-day moving average price is $168.13.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.21 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.22 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $9.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.69 billion. Qualcomm had a return on equity of 42.11% and a net margin of 22.31%.Qualcomm has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 2.050-2.250 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Qualcomm will post 7.97 EPS for the current year.

Qualcomm Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 24th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.92 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Qualcomm's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Qualcomm news, EVP Heather S. Ace sold 3,200 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $177.82, for a total value of $569,024.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 39,735 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,065,677.70. The trade was a 7.45% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 2,500 shares of Qualcomm stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.81, for a total transaction of $452,025.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 23,184 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,191,899.04. The trade was a 9.73% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 21,721 shares of company stock valued at $4,044,465 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.05% of the company's stock.

Qualcomm News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm was named BMW Group’s lead compute-silicon provider for digital cockpits and advanced driver-assistance and automated-driving systems through the next decade. The agreement expands the potential for recurring automotive revenue through Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Digital Chassis portfolio. Qualcomm wins BMW chip supply deal
• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm completed its all-stock acquisition of Modular, an AI-software company. Modular’s platform is intended to help developers deploy generative and agentic AI across different computing systems, strengthening Qualcomm’s push from edge devices into data-center and broader AI infrastructure markets. Qualcomm completes Modular acquisition
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights expanded Samsung cooperation, AI initiatives and continued automotive growth as potential catalysts that could reduce Qualcomm’s reliance on smartphones. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.92 per share. Qualcomm Samsung expansion and AI deals
• Neutral Sentiment: Qualcomm is scheduled to report fiscal third-quarter results after the market close. Options markets imply an unusually large post-earnings move of roughly 9%, reflecting significant uncertainty around guidance, smartphone demand and the pace of AI-related growth. Qualcomm stock could swing 9 percent
• Negative Sentiment: The stock has fallen sharply from its yearly high and is testing technical support ahead of earnings. Investors remain concerned that handset revenue declined 13% in the prior quarter, while the company’s AI and data-center expansion has yet to fully offset smartphone-related weakness. Qualcomm is down from its high
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market caution is adding pressure, with investors awaiting a Federal Reserve decision and monitoring turbulence in the memory-chip market. These macro concerns may make investors less willing to bid up semiconductor shares before Qualcomm provides its outlook.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Qualcomm

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of QCOM. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Qualcomm by 116.6% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,356 shares of the wireless technology company's stock worth $2,666,000 after purchasing an additional 9,343 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Qualcomm by 15.4% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,542 shares of the wireless technology company's stock valued at $391,000 after purchasing an additional 340 shares during the period. Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Qualcomm in the third quarter valued at about $176,000. Binnacle Investments Inc boosted its holdings in Qualcomm by 25.5% during the third quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 1,048 shares of the wireless technology company's stock worth $174,000 after buying an additional 213 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Acumen Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Qualcomm during the fourth quarter worth about $168,000. 74.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm Incorporated is a global semiconductor and telecommunications equipment company headquartered in San Diego, California. Founded in 1985, the company is known for its development of wireless technologies and for playing a central role in the evolution of digital cellular standards, including CDMA and subsequent generations of mobile standards. Qualcomm’s business combines the design and sale of semiconductor products with a patent licensing program for wireless technologies and related intellectual property.

The company’s product portfolio includes system-on-chip (SoC) platforms marketed under the Snapdragon brand, cellular modem and RF front-end components, connectivity solutions for Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth, and processors and platforms aimed at automotive, IoT, networking and edge-computing applications.

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