Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Releases Q4 2026 Earnings Guidance
by Renee Jackson · The Cerbat GemQualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM – Get Free Report) issued an update on its fourth quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 2.050-2.250 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 2.230. The company issued revenue guidance of $9.7 billion-$10.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $10.0 billion.
Qualcomm Stock Down 4.4%
QCOM stock traded down $7.20 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $155.68. The company had a trading volume of 18,850,914 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,552,639. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a current ratio of 2.37. The company has a market capitalization of $164.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.05 and a beta of 1.63. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $201.26 and a 200 day simple moving average of $167.94. Qualcomm has a fifty-two week low of $121.99 and a fifty-two week high of $259.92.
Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.22 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $9.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.69 billion. Qualcomm had a return on equity of 42.11% and a net margin of 22.31%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.77 earnings per share. Qualcomm has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 2.050-2.250 EPS. Analysts forecast that Qualcomm will post 7.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Qualcomm Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 24th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be given a $0.92 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $3.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Qualcomm’s dividend payout ratio is 40.00%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several analysts have commented on the company. Oppenheimer set a $200.00 price objective on Qualcomm in a research note on Monday. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Wednesday. Mizuho upped their price target on Qualcomm from $170.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. DZ Bank upgraded Qualcomm from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $265.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Qualcomm from $160.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Qualcomm currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $222.77.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on QCOM
Insider Buying and Selling
In related news, EVP Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.81, for a total transaction of $452,025.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 23,184 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,191,899.04. This trade represents a 9.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Patricia Y. Grech sold 829 shares of Qualcomm stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.77, for a total transaction of $167,267.33. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 21,721 shares of company stock valued at $4,044,465 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.
Key Headlines Impacting Qualcomm
Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm reported fiscal third-quarter revenue of $9.95 billion, exceeding the $9.69 billion consensus estimate. Automotive revenue and broader diversification remain important growth drivers. Qualcomm quarterly earnings report
- Positive Sentiment: BMW selected Qualcomm as its lead compute-silicon provider for future digital-cockpit and advanced driver-assistance systems, with programs expected to extend through the next decade. The deal strengthens Qualcomm’s automotive backlog and reduces reliance on smartphones. Qualcomm BMW chip supply deal
- Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm completed its all-stock acquisition of Modular, adding AI-native software for deploying generative and agentic AI workloads across edge, cloud and data-center systems. Qualcomm completes Modular acquisition
- Neutral Sentiment: Qualcomm’s quarterly EPS of $2.21 was essentially in line with estimates but declined from $2.77 a year earlier, while revenue growth was stronger than expected.
- Negative Sentiment: Fiscal fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $2.05–$2.25 was below the $2.23 consensus midpoint, and the $9.7–$10.5 billion revenue range was broadly in line with expectations. Management cited a continuing memory and semiconductor supply crunch and indicated that prices will rise. Qualcomm earnings guidance and memory crunch
- Negative Sentiment: Net income fell 25% year over year to approximately $2 billion. Weak handset sales, higher costs and declining Apple-related revenue are weighing on short-term earnings sentiment, despite automotive strength. Qualcomm Q3 earnings miss
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Qualcomm
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in Qualcomm by 116.6% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,356 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $2,666,000 after purchasing an additional 9,343 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Qualcomm by 15.4% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,542 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $391,000 after buying an additional 340 shares in the last quarter. Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Qualcomm in the 3rd quarter worth $176,000. Binnacle Investments Inc boosted its position in Qualcomm by 25.5% in the 3rd quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 1,048 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $174,000 after buying an additional 213 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Acumen Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Qualcomm in the 4th quarter valued at about $168,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.35% of the company’s stock.
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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