Why QUALCOMM stock moves
Qualcomm rose, moving well apart from the market's slight gain.
Written after the close on ·
Updated 02:00 with news that came after the close
Why today
16,437 news analyzed todayQualcomm rose, moving well apart from the market's slight gain.
Trading volume was about twice normal.
Earlier, on the day before the session, Qualcomm fell 13.63% on handset weakness, and that news was already known when the session opened.
Over the last five trading days the stock was roughly unchanged, while the S&P 500 fell sharply and the Technology sector fell very sharply.
Today's move of +5.52% was 3.6 times a normal day's 1.6%. S&P 500 moved +0.31% on the same day.
QUALCOMM +5.52%S&P 500 +0.31%Much stronger than the market
What analysts expect, and how often they have been right
Analysts’ estimates for QUALCOMM.
QUALCOMM earned more than expected in 7 out of 8 reports.
For comparison, about 82% of reports from US companies beat the estimate in the last three years.
The share moved in the same direction as the earnings surprise in 2 out of 8 reports with a measured move, against about 55% of reports from US companies.
Ratings
Price targets
Latest price $165.41
Earnings against expectations, and the share’s reaction
Expected EPSAbove estimateBelow estimateAs expected$
Next reported quarter: expected earnings per share of $2.25 (February 3). For the current fiscal year, expected earnings per share changed from $10.22 three months ago to $9.60 now. 2027 estimate: $9.60. 2028 estimate: $12.25.
Has the share price followed the business?
Price and earnings moved in the same direction: 3 out of 3 years. Across US companies, that happens in about 65% of years. In 2026, the price changed +11% and earnings per share +153%.
Revenue, profit and market cap
RevenueProfitMarket capHatched bars: analysts’ estimates.$B
Assets, liabilities and market cap
AssetsLiabilitiesMarket cap$B
Price and earnings moved in the same direction: 3 out of 3 years.Market cap (Now): $177.0BRevenue 2026: $43.1B
What the key figures say about QUALCOMM
The figures connect what QUALCOMM earns with what investors pay.
The line shows the share price in the same year, on its own scale. Hatched bars: analysts’ estimates.
Profit divided by the number of shares. Each share represents this much of the earnings.
2023–2026: $5.01–$12.70. Peers: Analog Devices $8.42, Arm Holdings $0.87, Marvell Technology $3.04. 2027 estimate: $9.60 ($8.77–$10.28). 2028 estimate: $12.25 ($10.10–$13.95).
What the company sold during the year.
2023–2026: $35.8B–$44.3B. Peers: Analog Devices $13.9B, Arm Holdings $5.5B, Marvell Technology $9.5B. 2027 estimate: $45.4B ($44.3B–$47.8B). 2028 estimate: $52.5B ($49.5B–$57.4B).
The percentage of revenue left after the costs of running the business.
2023–2026: 20.1%–27.9%. Peers: Analog Devices 35.7%, Arm Holdings 17.0%, Marvell Technology 16.8%.
Profit as a percentage of shareholders’ money in the company.
2023–2026: 26.1%–44.8%. Peers: Analog Devices 12.2%, Arm Holdings 11.3%, Marvell Technology 16.5%.
The price investors pay for each unit of annual earnings per share. Not shown for a loss.
2023–2026: 14.5–33.2. Peers: Analog Devices 43.2, Arm Holdings 200.7, Marvell Technology 46.4. 2027 estimate: 17.2. 2028 estimate: 13.5.
What investors pay for each unit the company sells.
2023–2026: 3.45–4.86. Peers: Analog Devices 12.69, Arm Holdings 34.20, Marvell Technology 13.44. 2027 estimate: 3.90. 2028 estimate: 3.37.
Money paid to shareholders per share, summed by calendar year.
2017–2025: $2.24–$3.52.
The ordinary yearly dividend as a percentage of the share price.
2023–2026: 1.5%–2.8%. Peers: Analog Devices 1.2%, Arm Holdings 0.0%, Marvell Technology 0.2%.
Net debt divided by operating earnings before depreciation and amortisation.
2023–2026: 0.10–0.63. Peers: Analog Devices 0.99, Arm Holdings -2.77, Marvell Technology 0.47.
More key figures
Market cap divided by shareholders’ equity, what remains after liabilities.
2023–2026: 5.73–8.43. Peers: Analog Devices 5.25, Arm Holdings 20.56, Marvell Technology 6.68.
Market cap plus net debt, divided by operating earnings. This includes debt.
2023–2026: 13.8–20.2.
Cash left after investments, divided by the number of shares.
2023–2026: $8.10–$11.94. Peers: Analog Devices $10.19, Arm Holdings $1.10, Marvell Technology $1.91.
The percentage of assets financed by shareholders’ equity.
2023–2026: 42.3%–50.0%.
The dividend explained
A dividend is money paid to shareholders. QUALCOMM paid $3.62 per share in the twelve months through November 6, 2026.
On the ex-dividend day, September 3, 2026, QUALCOMM traded without the right to the $0.92 dividend. The price went from $169.96 to $168.57; including the dividend, the day's change was −0.3%. Entitlement passes from the company to shareholders on the ex-day; payment comes later.
2017: $2.242018: $2.432019: $2.482020: $2.572021: $2.692022: $2.932023: $3.152024: $3.352025: $3.522026 so far: $2.73
What to watch next, and why
From the ex-day, QUALCOMM trades without entitlement to the next dividend.
- The dividend explained
From the ex-day, QUALCOMM trades without entitlement to the next dividend.
- Earnings report
The earnings report shows how QUALCOMM's revenue and profit have changed.
Add to calendar
Earnings report
Next report: · Add to calendar · Google Calendar
On its last 15 report days QUALCOMM usually moved about 7.7%. On a normal day it moves 1.6%.
−9.49% Why? −2.62% +15.12% −8.46%
$10,000 in QUALCOMM bought on November 7, 2016 is worth $31,600 today, with dividends reinvested.
The same amount in S&P 500 with dividends would have become $40,400.
What would $10,000 in QUALCOMM be worth today? →
What would $10,000 in QUALCOMM be worth today?
$31,600
with dividends reinvested, bought on November 7, 2016. The same amount in S&P 500 with dividends would have become $40,400.
At worst it was worth $7,530 (September 8, 2017).
The five biggest days of the journey
· +23.2% · the whole market rose 0.1% the same day
· +15.2% · the whole market fell 0.4% the same day · report day
· +15.2% · the whole market rose 9.5% the same day
· +15.1% · the whole market rose 1.0% the same day · report day
· −14.9% · the whole market fell 12.0% the same day
Earlier days
+0.38% market −2.70% QUALCOMM ended the week's trading days roughly unchanged overall. Read →
QUALCOMM ended the week's trading days roughly unchanged overall.
It fell with the S&P 500 but held up much better, and it moved less than its sector.
Its biggest mover was the fourth-quarter earnings release, which came after a sharp drop in handset chip sales that offset strong automotive growth and new data center plans.
Last session it rose very sharply on about twice its normal trading volume, and it outperformed both the market and its sector.
−9.49% market −4.41% QUALCOMM fell, moving more than the S&P 500, which also fell sharply. Read →
QUALCOMM fell, moving more than the S&P 500, which also fell sharply.
Its drop roughly matched the Technology sector, which also fell very sharply that day.
The move came after its fiscal fourth-quarter report, where handset chip sales fell 26%.
Automotive revenue hit a record, but it did not offset the handset decline.
The company also gave a weak forecast, citing higher input costs and a memory shortage hurting smartphone sales.
+5.33% market +1.65% Qualcomm rose that day, moving well ahead of the market. Read →
Qualcomm rose that day, moving well ahead of the market.
The S&P 500 rose sharply while the technology sector was roughly flat.
Over the last five trading days, the stock fell clearly, moving in line with its sector, which fell very sharply.
+1.45% market +0.30% Qualcomm stock moved without without a company-news explanation. Read →
Qualcomm stock moved without without a company-news explanation.
Qualcomm rose slightly, about in line with its sector, and moved more than the S&P 500, which also rose slightly.
Over the last five trading days, Qualcomm fell sharply, a big move for this stock and far more than the market.
Next, Qualcomm reports quarterly results on Wednesday 4 November 2026.
−1.64% market −0.48% QUALCOMM fell, moving more than the S&P 500 and its sector. Read →
QUALCOMM fell, moving more than the S&P 500 and its sector.
Over five days it fell sharply, about three times a normal stretch.
Likely drivers include a Bernstein price target cut on handset concerns and sector selling, and earnings are due Wednesday 4 November 2026.
−11.12% market −1.77% QUALCOMM fell sharply. Read →
QUALCOMM fell sharply.
Over the same day the S&P 500 fell sharply, so QUALCOMM's drop was steeper than the broader market's.
The day's move was very big for QUALCOMM, and trading volume ran well above its usual level, a sign of heavy activity.
Over the last five trading days the shares fell clearly, also more than the market, which fell only slightly.
−6.32% market −0.56% QUALCOMM fell clearly over the week, more than the S&P 500 and its Technology sector. Read →
QUALCOMM fell clearly over the week, more than the S&P 500 and its Technology sector.
The biggest drop came in the last session, a very sharp fall on heavy trading, much bigger than a normal day.
The news points to a weak profit outlook and an Intel warning weighing on chip stocks, with Apple revenue falling faster than expected.
Earnings are due Wednesday 4 November 2026, so that report is the next event to watch.
+1.33% market −0.38% QUALCOMM rose, moving against a slightly lower S&P 500 market. Read →
QUALCOMM rose, moving against a slightly lower S&P 500 market.
No company news explains it.
Over the last five trading days it rose sharply, well ahead of the market and its sector.
The five-day rise is a big move, about twice a normal stretch for this stock.
Shares of Qualcomm traded roughly in line with the usual volume, so the day was ordinary in size.
+1.78% market −0.52% Qualcomm rose clearly on job-cut reports. Read →
Qualcomm rose clearly on job-cut reports.
Over the same day the S&P 500 fell clearly, so Qualcomm moved against the market.
Over the last five trading days Qualcomm rose slightly while the S&P 500 fell slightly and the tech sector was roughly flat.
Next, watch the earnings report on Wednesday 4 November 2026.
+2.21% market −0.43% Qualcomm rose slightly over the last five trading days, while the S&P 500 fell slightly, so it moved against the market. Read →
Qualcomm rose slightly over the last five trading days, while the S&P 500 fell slightly, so it moved against the market.
The move likely reflected news of possible job cuts: a report of layoffs starting in November, which some investors read as a push for stronger profits.
Technology sector shares were roughly flat over the same days, so the gain was specific to Qualcomm.
Watch the earnings report on Wednesday 4 November, which will show how the company is performing.
−2.88% market −1.18% Qualcomm fell clearly, with no company news explaining it. Read →
Qualcomm fell clearly, with no company news explaining it.
The S&P 500 fell sharply over the same day, so Qualcomm moved more than the market, and the Technology sector ETF fell very sharply, so it moved in line with its sector.
Over the last five trading days, Qualcomm fell slightly, a little less than the market in pace, moving in line with its sector.
Trading volume was around its usual level.
The likeliest driver is broad selling in chip and technology stocks, which hit Qualcomm harder than the wider market.
−3.53% market −1.11% Qualcomm fell sharply, as the chip sector sold off. Read →
Qualcomm fell sharply, as the chip sector sold off.
Qualcomm's drop was in line with the Technology sector and larger than the S&P 500's fall.
The main news that session was a Delaware jury verdict against Arm, Qualcomm's licensing partner, which hit Arm and AMD shares and added to the chip selloff.
The verdict reportedly found Arm breached its licence with Qualcomm, though Qualcomm was awarded only $2 in damages, so it is unclear how much it helps Qualcomm directly.
Over the last five trading days, Qualcomm fell slightly, about in line with the market and less than its sector.
+3.35% market +0.28% QUALCOMM rose clearly, moving well ahead of the broader market and against a slightly weaker tech sector, most likely on the Arm verdict. Read →
QUALCOMM rose clearly, moving well ahead of the broader market and against a slightly weaker tech sector, most likely on the Arm verdict.
A Delaware jury found that Arm breached its chip licensing contract with Qualcomm and intentionally interfered with a Qualcomm chip deal with Meta, which strengthens Qualcomm's legal position.
The award itself was just $2, but the finding is the legal basis for a far larger claim: a clause that could let Qualcomm suspend royalty payments to Arm for five years, worth roughly $1.5 billion.
Closing arguments on that question are set for October 20, so that ruling is the next thing to watch.
A tech-sector ETF is a fund that tracks technology stocks, and it fell slightly that day, so Qualcomm's gain was largely company-specific.
Learn more · Why do stocks go up and down?