Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Stock Price Down 1.1% – Here’s Why

Shares of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) fell 1.1% during trading on Thursday. The company traded as low as $181.77 and last traded at $182.09. Approximately 9,268,012 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 40% from the average session volume of 15,545,396 shares. The stock had previously closed at $184.04.

Trending Headlines about Qualcomm

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple patent renewal supports licensing stability. Qualcomm renewed a global patent-license agreement with Apple effective April 2027. Although Apple has reduced its use of Qualcomm chips, the agreement reinforces the value of Qualcomm’s intellectual-property portfolio and provides visibility for its high-margin licensing business. QUALCOMM Renewed a Global Patent License Effective April 2027
• Positive Sentiment: Investors see potential in AI, automotive and data-center growth. Qualcomm is attempting to offset shrinking Apple chip sales with automotive, data-center and AI-related products. Higher 2027 sales estimates cited in recent analysis suggest some investors still see meaningful upside if those businesses scale successfully. Qualcomm Stock Fell 7% in a Day as Its AI and Apple Rally Cooled
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent momentum has improved, but valuation leaves less room for disappointment. Qualcomm is up substantially over six months while trading below its one-year high. At roughly 21 times earnings—around the broader market’s valuation—investors appear to be pricing in continued growth beyond smartphones, prompting debate over whether to wait for clearer evidence. What Is The Case For Waiting On Qualcomm Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst skepticism and AI execution concerns are weighing on sentiment. A Seeking Alpha contributor downgraded Qualcomm for the first time in more than a year, while other commentary questioned whether its AI strategy can overcome the loss of Apple chip business and competition in emerging markets. Qualcomm: Downgrading For The First Time In Over A Year
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling added pressure. A report attributed part of the recent decline to insider selling, reinforcing concerns among investors already reassessing Qualcomm’s rally and growth outlook. Qualcomm Stock Falls on Insider Selling

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. DZ Bank raised Qualcomm from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $265.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Susquehanna reduced their price target on Qualcomm from $190.00 to $160.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Qualcomm from $160.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. HSBC restated a “hold” rating on shares of Qualcomm in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Lake Street Capital cut Qualcomm to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Qualcomm has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $204.10.

Qualcomm Trading Down 1.1%

The company has a market cap of $191.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.84 and a beta of 1.68. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $170.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $175.63. The company has a current ratio of 2.02, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.23 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $9.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.69 billion. Qualcomm had a net margin of 21.01% and a return on equity of 38.36%. The business’s revenue was down 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.77 earnings per share. Qualcomm has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 2.050-2.250 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Qualcomm Incorporated will post 7.74 EPS for the current year.

Qualcomm Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 24th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.92 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $3.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. Qualcomm’s payout ratio is presently 42.59%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Qualcomm

In other news, CEO Cristiano Amon sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $2,000,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 177,568 shares in the company, valued at approximately $35,513,600. This trade represents a 5.33% decrease in their position. The transaction 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, CAO Patricia Grech sold 208 shares of Qualcomm stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total transaction of $35,360.00. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 31,533 shares of company stock valued at $5,874,969 over the last three months. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Greenwich Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Qualcomm in the 2nd quarter valued at about $242,000. QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Qualcomm by 12.7% in the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 204,726 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $37,831,000 after purchasing an additional 23,009 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 8.4% during the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 48,184 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $8,904,000 after buying an additional 3,746 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 1.3% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 52,763,263 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $9,750,123,000 after buying an additional 671,537 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA boosted its position in shares of Qualcomm by 35.9% during the second quarter. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA now owns 26,140 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $4,830,000 after buying an additional 6,900 shares during the period. 74.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Qualcomm Company Profile

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is a technology company headquartered in San Diego, California, that develops wireless communications technologies, semiconductors and related software. Its products support mobile devices, connected computing, automotive systems, industrial equipment and consumer electronics.

Qualcomm’s semiconductor business operates primarily through its Qualcomm CDMA Technologies segment. Its offerings include Snapdragon platforms and systems-on-chip, cellular modems, radio-frequency components, connectivity products, and processors for smartphones, personal computers, extended-reality devices, vehicles and the Internet of Things.