Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Trading Up 8.4% After Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• Qualcomm shares jumped 8.4% after Craig Hallum upgraded the stock to a buy rating, with trading volume surging to more than 45 million shares. The stock hit an intraday high of $247.90 before settling at $237.53.
• Several other analysts have been adjusting their views on Qualcomm, including recent price target increases from TD Cowen, Tigress Financial, and JPMorgan. Overall, the consensus remains Hold, but sentiment has improved with multiple bullish notes.
• Investor interest is being driven by Qualcomm’s potential exposure to the AI and data-center boom, including expectations for a server CPU super cycle. The company has also benefited from broader semiconductor enthusiasm, even as some analysts note longer-term AI device opportunities remain early-stage.

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM - Get Free Report)'s stock price was up 8.4% during mid-day trading on Monday after Craig Hallum upgraded the stock to a buy rating. The company traded as high as $247.90 and last traded at $237.53. Approximately 45,350,438 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 214% from the average daily volume of 14,423,543 shares. The stock had previously closed at $219.09.

QCOM has been the topic of a number of other reports. TD Cowen raised their price target on Qualcomm from $150.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Mizuho dropped their price target on Qualcomm from $160.00 to $140.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Tigress Financial upped their price target on Qualcomm from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Zacks Research raised Qualcomm from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Qualcomm from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $180.37.

Insider Buying and Selling at Qualcomm

In related news, CEO Cristiano R. Amon sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total value of $1,800,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 197,568 shares in the company, valued at approximately $35,562,240. This trade represents a 4.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible 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 the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.34, for a total transaction of $325,850.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 30,684 shares in the company, valued at $3,999,352.56. The trade was a 7.53% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 15,977 shares of company stock worth $2,738,566. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Qualcomm News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts at GF said Qualcomm, along with AMD and Intel, could benefit from a coming server CPU super cycle tied to rising data-center investment. AMD, Intel, Qualcomm likely to benefit from server CPU super cycle, GF says
• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm is benefiting from the broader AI chip rally, with investors buying semiconductors tied to data-center buildouts and AI demand. Qualcomm Stock Is Rising. The Chip Stock Is Nearing a New Record High.
• Positive Sentiment: Daiwa upgraded Qualcomm to Outperform, adding to bullish sentiment around the stock. Daiwa Upgrades QUALCOMM (QCOM) to Outperform
• Positive Sentiment: Reports say investors are shrugging off Qualcomm’s recent guidance miss because the market is more focused on its opportunity in data centers and AI-related growth. Qualcomm Missed on Guidance. Investors Are Shrugging It Off As They Wait for Data Centers To Take QCOM Stock Higher.
• Neutral Sentiment: Qualcomm’s push into AI-native devices such as glasses and wearables is seen as a longer-term growth story, but it is still early and more speculative than immediate earnings impact. Qualcomm’s AI Device Push Tests Shift Beyond Smartphones For Investors
• Negative Sentiment: DZ Bank reportedly lowered its rating on Qualcomm, which is a modest headwind even amid the rally. Qualcomm NASDAQ: QCOM Stock Rating Lowered by DZ Bank

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Qualcomm

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Qualcomm in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in Qualcomm by 90.9% in the 4th quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 168 shares of the wireless technology company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the period. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in Qualcomm in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings in Qualcomm by 17,000.0% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 171 shares of the wireless technology company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 170 shares during the period. Finally, Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. purchased a new position in Qualcomm in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.35% of the company's stock.

Qualcomm Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $250.36 billion, a PE ratio of 25.82, a PEG ratio of 27.14 and a beta of 1.49. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $138.77 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $155.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a current ratio of 2.37.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.56 by $0.09. Qualcomm had a return on equity of 42.11% and a net margin of 22.31%.The firm had revenue of $10.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $10.59 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.85 EPS. Qualcomm's quarterly revenue was down 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Qualcomm has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.100-2.300 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Qualcomm Incorporated will post 7.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Qualcomm Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 25th. Shareholders 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 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 4th. This is a positive change from Qualcomm's previous quarterly dividend of $0.89. Qualcomm's dividend payout ratio is currently 38.70%.

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

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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