Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Stock Price Up 10.9% – Should You Buy?

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) shares shot up 10.9% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $187.22 and last traded at $186.6720. 32,929,497 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 152% from the average session volume of 13,086,824 shares. The stock had previously closed at $168.38.

Key Headlines Impacting Qualcomm

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company confirmed shipments of custom AI silicon to a major hyperscaler and reported record automotive revenue, signaling a credible entry into data?center infrastructure and expanding revenue mix beyond phones. This is the primary bullish catalyst behind today’s rally. Qualcomm’s AI Chips And Automotive Growth Reshape Its Investment Story
• Positive Sentiment: Board actions support capital returns: a recent quarterly dividend increase and an existing $20B share?repurchase authorization improve shareholder cash yield and signal management confidence in the stock long term. Qualcomm’s 50% Surge: Bubble Territory or Breakout Moment?
• Neutral Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald lifted its price target to $150 (keeps a Neutral rating), a modest analytical uptick that helps sentiment but stops short of a conviction upgrade. Cantor Fitzgerald Raises PT on QUALCOMM (QCOM) Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry pieces note a sector rotation toward execution (Intel turnaround, AMD dynamics); these macro dynamics can rerate peers and alter capital flow into semiconductors — an indirect factor for QCOM. The Great Chip Divide: AI Chip War Pivots from Hype to Execution
• Neutral Sentiment: Intel appointed a former Qualcomm exec (Alex Katouzian) to a major PC/physical AI role — notable for talent flow and competition in edge/AI markets but not an immediate revenue impact. Intel appoints Qualcomm executive to lead PC and physical AI business
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by CEO Cristiano Amon (10,000 shares) and EVP Heather Ace (3,200 shares), executed under 10b5?1 plans, introduces short?term selling pressure and can amplify volatility even if pre?arranged. Amon SEC filing Ace SEC filing
• Negative Sentiment: Short?term headwinds remain: multiple bearish takes highlight ongoing handset weakness and shrinking phone?driven revenue/profits, arguing valuations may be stretched until AI/data?center wins scale. Qualcomm: Sell Into The Hype

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

QCOM has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Qualcomm from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Daiwa Securities Group downgraded Qualcomm from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $140.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Mizuho dropped their target price on Qualcomm from $160.00 to $140.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and set a $160.00 target price on shares of Qualcomm in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “underweight” rating and set a $146.00 target price on shares of Qualcomm in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Qualcomm currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $172.40.

Qualcomm Trading Up 10.9%

The company has a market cap of $196.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.29, a P/E/G ratio of 21.42 and a beta of 1.49. The company has a quick ratio of 1.61, a current ratio of 2.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $135.69 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $155.24.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.56 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $10.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.59 billion. Qualcomm had a return on equity of 42.11% and a net margin of 22.31%.The firm’s revenue was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.85 earnings per share. Qualcomm has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.100-2.300 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Qualcomm Incorporated will post 8.18 EPS for the current year.

Qualcomm Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 25th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 4th will be issued a $0.92 dividend. This is a boost from Qualcomm’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.89. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 4th. Qualcomm’s dividend payout ratio is currently 38.70%.

Qualcomm announced that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, March 17th that authorizes the company to repurchase $20.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the wireless technology company to buy 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 stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Cristiano R. Amon sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total value of $1,800,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 207,568 shares in the company, valued at approximately $37,362,240. This represents a 4.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Patricia Y. Grech sold 192 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.00, for a total value of $33,024.00. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 22,510 shares of company stock worth $3,635,753. Company insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Qualcomm

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Qualcomm in the fourth quarter worth about $2,591,056,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 141.8% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 12,437,240 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $2,069,059,000 after acquiring an additional 7,292,783 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 12.5% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 28,897,079 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $4,931,968,000 after acquiring an additional 3,221,924 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 28.1% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 12,645,603 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $2,163,030,000 after acquiring an additional 2,771,490 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 36.8% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 6,552,427 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $1,090,025,000 after acquiring an additional 1,764,252 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.35% of the company’s stock.

About Qualcomm

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.