QUALCOMM (QCOM) Competitors

QUALCOMM (NASDAQ:QCOM) and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) are both large-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings, profitability, institutional ownership, media sentiment, valuation and risk.

Does the media refer more to QCOM or AAPL?

In the previous week, Apple had 214 more articles in the media than QUALCOMM. MarketBeat recorded 273 mentions for Apple and 59 mentions for QUALCOMM. QUALCOMM's average media sentiment score of 1.33 beat Apple's score of 0.77 indicating that QUALCOMM is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
QUALCOMM	48 Very Positive mention(s)	2 Positive mention(s)	8 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Apple	160 Very Positive mention(s)	24 Positive mention(s)	62 Neutral mention(s)	18 Negative mention(s)	7 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Which has more volatility & risk, QCOM or AAPL?

QUALCOMM has a beta of 1.26, suggesting that its share price is 26% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Apple has a beta of 1.2, suggesting that its share price is 20% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Which has preferable earnings & valuation, QCOM or AAPL?

Apple has higher revenue and earnings than QUALCOMM. QUALCOMM is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Apple, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
QUALCOMM	$42.29B	4.01	$10.14B	$9.82	15.71
Apple	$400.37B	7.78	$93.74B	$6.42	32.50

Do analysts prefer QCOM or AAPL?

QUALCOMM presently has a consensus target price of $186.39, suggesting a potential upside of 20.81%. Apple has a consensus target price of $235.27, suggesting a potential upside of 12.77%. Given QUALCOMM's higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe QUALCOMM is more favorable than Apple.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
QUALCOMM	1 Sell rating(s)	15 Hold rating(s)	12 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.39
Apple	2 Sell rating(s)	11 Hold rating(s)	17 Buy rating(s)	2 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.59

Is QCOM or AAPL more profitable?

QUALCOMM has a net margin of 26.11% compared to Apple's net margin of 24.30%. Apple's return on equity of 167.24% beat QUALCOMM's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
QUALCOMM	26.11%	40.11%	19.35%
Apple	24.30%	167.24%	31.35%

Is QCOM or AAPL a better dividend stock?

QUALCOMM pays an annual dividend of $3.56 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.3%. Apple pays an annual dividend of $1.04 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.5%. QUALCOMM pays out 36.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Apple pays out 16.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. QUALCOMM has raised its dividend for 23 consecutive years and Apple has raised its dividend for 14 consecutive years. QUALCOMM is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Do institutionals and insiders hold more shares of QCOM or AAPL?

74.3% of QUALCOMM shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 67.7% of Apple shares are held by institutional investors. 0.1% of QUALCOMM shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.1% of Apple shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Apple beats QUALCOMM on 11 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.