Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Shares Down 1.6% - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Shares slipped 1.6% intraday to about $133.95 as the stock pulled back from recent highs, and analysts have leaned negative — notably Barclays reinstated coverage with an Underweight rating and a $130 price target citing handset weakness and limited near-term catalysts.
• Management announced shareholder-friendly moves: a board-approved $20.0 billion repurchase authorization (up to ~14.5% of shares) and a raised quarterly dividend of $0.92 (annualized $3.68, ~2.7% yield).
• Qualcomm recently beat quarterly estimates with $3.50 EPS on $12.25B revenue and set Q2 guidance of $2.45–$2.65 EPS, but analysts are trimming near-term estimates and expect a decline in earnings for the year (consensus FY EPS ~8.25), increasing downside risk to the stock.

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM - Get Free Report)'s stock price traded down 1.6% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $132.05 and last traded at $133.95. 10,074,569 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 9% from the average session volume of 11,017,064 shares. The stock had previously closed at $136.07.

Qualcomm News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: The market is watching April 29 as a potential near-term catalyst for QCOM; the article outlines why investors should pay attention to that date (possible corporate/earnings event). Why is April 29 important for Qualcomm investors?
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent intraday action shows QCOM ended a multi-day winning streak and has pulled back from recent highs — a technical/short-term sentiment shift for traders. Qualcomm snaps nine-day winning streak
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays reinstated coverage with an Underweight rating and a $130 price target, citing handset weakness and limited near-term catalysts — the note renews sell-side pressure on QCOM. Barclays Reinstates Qualcomm at Underweight With a $130 Target
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and valuation notes argue handset demand is weakening, memory costs are rising and there are few near-term catalysts — a set of observations that is pressuring QCOM’s outlook and multiple. A Look At Qualcomm (QCOM) Valuation As Analyst Downgrades Highlight Handset Weakness
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks highlights analyst expectations for a decline in upcoming earnings — lower near-term EPS estimates raise the risk of a guidance miss or muted outlook. Analysts Estimate Qualcomm (QCOM) to Report a Decline in Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Comparisons to smaller peer Cirrus Logic portray CRUS as a better buy on rising estimates and lower valuation, while calling out QCOM’s supply constraints and cautious handset demand — a narrative that can shift investor allocations away from QCOM. Cirrus Logic vs. Qualcomm: Which Mobile Chip Stock is the Better Buy?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on QCOM shares. Citigroup reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Qualcomm in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Qualcomm in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $200.00 price objective on shares of Qualcomm in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Rosenblatt Securities reduced their price objective on Qualcomm from $225.00 to $190.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Argus reduced their price objective on Qualcomm from $205.00 to $180.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $158.25.

Qualcomm Stock Down 1.6%

The stock has a 50 day moving average of $134.26 and a 200-day moving average of $155.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $142.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.68 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 1.83 and a current ratio of 2.51.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The wireless technology company reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.38 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $12.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.16 billion. Qualcomm had a net margin of 11.96% and a return on equity of 44.09%. Qualcomm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.41 EPS. Qualcomm has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.450-2.650 EPS. Research analysts predict that Qualcomm Incorporated will post 8.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Qualcomm Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 25th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 4th will be given a $0.92 dividend. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. This is an increase from Qualcomm's previous quarterly dividend of $0.89. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 4th. Qualcomm's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 73.55%.

Qualcomm declared that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, March 17th that permits the company to repurchase $20.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the wireless technology company to purchase up to 14.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 3,333 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.65, for a total value of $458,787.45. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 35,599 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,900,202.35. This trade represents a 8.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Heather S. Ace sold 3,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.00, for a total transaction of $438,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 16,393 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,245,841. The trade was a 16.33% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 9,118 shares of company stock valued at $1,233,705 over the last 90 days. 0.05% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Qualcomm

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Inscription Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Qualcomm by 58.1% in the 3rd quarter. Inscription Capital LLC now owns 13,055 shares of the wireless technology company's stock valued at $2,172,000 after acquiring an additional 4,799 shares during the last quarter. Savvy Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 43.3% in the fourth quarter. Savvy Advisors Inc. now owns 19,102 shares of the wireless technology company's stock worth $3,267,000 after purchasing an additional 5,776 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 1.7% in the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 1,004,339 shares of the wireless technology company's stock worth $167,082,000 after purchasing an additional 16,738 shares during the last quarter. First National Trust Co grew its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 9.4% in the third quarter. First National Trust Co now owns 57,687 shares of the wireless technology company's stock worth $9,597,000 after purchasing an additional 4,976 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Simplify Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Qualcomm in the third quarter worth approximately $725,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.35% of the company's stock.

Qualcomm Company Profile

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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