Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Shares Up 11.1% - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Shares jumped 11.1% on heavy trading (≈29.3M shares, ~160% above average) amid a semiconductor rally and unusually large options activity (about 120,444 call contracts), driving a sharp intraday move higher.
• Qualcomm bolstered shareholder returns and fundamentals with a raised quarterly dividend of $0.92, a newly authorized $20 billion buyback (up to ~14.5% of shares), and a recent quarter that beat EPS expectations while guiding Q2 EPS to 2.45–2.65.
• Analyst views remain mixed — MarketBeat shows an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target near $158.25 — as valuation and smartphone-demand concerns temper enthusiasm despite the longer-term “AI-at-the-edge” growth narrative.

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM - Get Free Report) shot up 11.1% on Friday . The stock traded as high as $151.54 and last traded at $148.85. 29,310,401 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 160% from the average session volume of 11,252,503 shares. The stock had previously closed at $133.95.

Trending Headlines about Qualcomm

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Semiconductor sector rally lifted shares as the chip complex caught fire, driving a sharp intraday move higher. Qualcomm Stock Jumps 11% – Here's Why It's Still Down 13% in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large options activity: roughly 120,444 call contracts were bought (about 165% above average), indicating strong bullish positioning that can amplify upside and intraday volume.
• Positive Sentiment: AI narrative supports longer-term upside: Qualcomm is highlighted as an “AI-at-the-edge” name that could benefit from AI-driven demand beyond smartphones. QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM): One of the AI Stocks That Could Break Trillion Dollar Barrier
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays began coverage / issued a new rating — a headline catalyst that can move sentiment but whose net impact depends on the specifics of the view and any price target. Barclays Begins Coverage on Qualcomm NASDAQ: QCOM
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and investors are focused on key Q2 metrics and guidance ahead of the quarter-end/earnings window; Zacks summarizes what Wall Street is watching for in the upcoming report. Wall Street's Insights Into Key Metrics Ahead of Qualcomm (QCOM) Q2 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and valuation concerns persist: recent notes highlighted weak smartphone demand, rising memory costs, and limited near-term catalysts for the handset business — factors that have pressured the stock YTD. A Look At Qualcomm (QCOM) Valuation As Analyst Downgrades Highlight Handset Weakness And Limited Near Term Catalysts
• Negative Sentiment: Peer comparison: some coverage contrasts Qualcomm with mobile-chip peers (e.g., Cirrus Logic), noting supply constraints and demand headwinds that could weigh on share gains if handset cycles remain weak. Cirrus Logic vs. Qualcomm: Which Mobile Chip Stock is the Better Buy?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently weighed in on QCOM. Evercore dropped their price target on Qualcomm from $157.00 to $134.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Wells Fargo & Company raised Qualcomm from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $135.00 to $185.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Rosenblatt Securities dropped their target price on Qualcomm from $225.00 to $190.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Citigroup reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Qualcomm in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Argus dropped their target price on Qualcomm from $205.00 to $180.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Qualcomm presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $158.25.

Qualcomm Stock Up 11.1%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.83, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $134.17 and a 200 day simple moving average of $155.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $158.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.75 and a beta of 1.28.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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 business had revenue of $12.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.16 billion. Qualcomm had a return on equity of 44.09% and a net margin of 11.96%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.41 earnings per share. Qualcomm has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.450-2.650 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Qualcomm Incorporated will post 8.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Qualcomm Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 25th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.92 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 4th. This is an increase from Qualcomm's previous quarterly dividend of $0.89. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Qualcomm's dividend payout ratio is currently 73.55%.

Qualcomm declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, March 17th that allows the company to buyback $20.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the wireless technology company to purchase up to 14.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 16,393 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,245,841. This represents a 16.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 3,333 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 35,599 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,900,202.35. The trade was a 8.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 9,118 shares of company stock worth $1,233,705. Corporate insiders own 0.05% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Qualcomm by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 114,144,068 shares of the wireless technology company's stock valued at $19,524,350,000 after acquiring an additional 647,076 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Qualcomm by 12.5% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 28,897,079 shares of the wireless technology company's stock valued at $4,931,968,000 after acquiring an additional 3,221,924 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in Qualcomm by 34.5% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 16,727,862 shares of the wireless technology company's stock valued at $2,861,301,000 after acquiring an additional 4,290,622 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Qualcomm during the fourth quarter valued at $2,591,056,000. Finally, Amundi increased its position in Qualcomm by 9.9% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 12,671,635 shares of the wireless technology company's stock valued at $2,136,486,000 after acquiring an additional 1,138,541 shares during the last quarter. 74.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.