Research Analysts Set Expectations for QUALCOMM Q1 Earnings

QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) – Research analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for shares of QUALCOMM in a research note issued to investors on Monday, March 17th. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now forecasts that the wireless technology company will earn $2.46 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $2.47. The consensus estimate for QUALCOMM’s current full-year earnings is $9.39 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for QUALCOMM’s FY2026 earnings at $9.89 EPS.

QUALCOMM (NASDAQ:QCOM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The wireless technology company reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.93 by ($0.07). QUALCOMM had a return on equity of 39.51% and a net margin of 25.94%.

QCOM has been the topic of several other research reports. Piper Sandler cut their price target on shares of QUALCOMM from $205.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Melius Research started coverage on shares of QUALCOMM in a research note on Monday, December 9th. They set a “hold” rating and a $180.00 price objective on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $160.00 price objective on shares of QUALCOMM in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $240.00 price objective on shares of QUALCOMM in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Melius started coverage on shares of QUALCOMM in a research note on Monday, December 9th. They set a “hold” rating and a $180.00 price objective on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have issued a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, QUALCOMM presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $205.32.

QUALCOMM Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:QCOM opened at $157.95 on Thursday. QUALCOMM has a twelve month low of $149.43 and a twelve month high of $230.63. The company’s 50 day moving average is $164.52 and its 200 day moving average is $164.10. The company has a current ratio of 2.62, a quick ratio of 1.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The company has a market cap of $174.69 billion, a PE ratio of 16.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 1.28.

QUALCOMM Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 6th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 6th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.15%. QUALCOMM’s payout ratio is currently 36.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling at QUALCOMM

In other QUALCOMM news, insider Alexander H. Rogers sold 19,287 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.83, for a total value of $3,275,511.21. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 20,762 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,526,010.46. This trade represents a 48.16 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CAO Neil Martin sold 744 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.83, for a total value of $130,073.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 461 shares in the company, valued at $80,596.63. The trade was a 61.74 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 27,968 shares of company stock worth $4,685,077. Corporate insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its holdings in shares of QUALCOMM by 39.7% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,841,103 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $284,708,000 after acquiring an additional 523,244 shares during the period. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of QUALCOMM by 21.9% during the 4th quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 27,596 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $4,239,000 after acquiring an additional 4,955 shares during the period. FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of QUALCOMM during the 4th quarter worth $2,058,000. Burney Co. raised its holdings in shares of QUALCOMM by 665.6% during the 4th quarter. Burney Co. now owns 146,911 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $22,568,000 after acquiring an additional 127,722 shares during the period. Finally, Howard Bailey Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of QUALCOMM during the 4th quarter worth about $240,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.35% of the company’s stock.

About QUALCOMM

QUALCOMM Incorporated engages in the development and commercialization of foundational technologies for the wireless industry worldwide. It operates through three segments: Qualcomm CDMA Technologies (QCT); Qualcomm Technology Licensing (QTL); and Qualcomm Strategic Initiatives (QSI). The QCT segment develops and supplies integrated circuits and system software based on 3G/4G/5G and other technologies for use in wireless voice and data communications, networking, computing, multimedia, and position location products.