Erste Group Bank Comments on Qualcomm FY2026 Earnings

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) – Research analysts at Erste Group Bank lowered their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for Qualcomm in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, March 24th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now forecasts that the wireless technology company will post earnings of $8.32 per share for the year, down from their previous estimate of $8.39. The consensus estimate for Qualcomm’s current full-year earnings is $9.39 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for Qualcomm’s FY2027 earnings at $8.25 EPS.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The wireless technology company reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.38 by $0.12. Qualcomm had a return on equity of 44.09% and a net margin of 11.96%.The business had revenue of $12.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.16 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.41 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Qualcomm has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.450-2.650 EPS.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on QCOM. Daiwa Securities Group lowered shares of 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. TD Cowen lowered their price target on Qualcomm from $190.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Argus cut their price objective on Qualcomm from $205.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners reissued a “sell” rating and set a $100.00 price objective on shares of Qualcomm in a report on Monday, March 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Qualcomm has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $165.14.

Qualcomm Price Performance

QCOM stock opened at $127.11 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $141.12 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $160.26. The stock has a market cap of $135.63 billion, a PE ratio of 26.26 and a beta of 1.25. Qualcomm has a one year low of $120.80 and a one year high of $205.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 2.51 and a quick ratio of 1.83.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Qualcomm

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Qualcomm by 72.2% in the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Cloud Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Qualcomm during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. grew its position in shares of Qualcomm by 90.9% in the 4th quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 168 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the period. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Qualcomm in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its stake in shares of Qualcomm by 17,000.0% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 171 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. 74.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Qualcomm

In other news, EVP Heather S. Ace sold 3,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.00, for a total transaction of $438,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 16,393 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,245,841. The trade was a 16.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 3,333 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.65, for a total transaction of $458,787.45. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 35,599 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,900,202.35. This trade represents a 8.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 9,866 shares of company stock worth $1,474,796 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.

Qualcomm Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 5th were issued a $0.89 dividend. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 5th. Qualcomm’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 73.55%.

Qualcomm declared that its board has initiated a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, March 17th that allows the company to buyback $20.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the wireless technology company to purchase up to 14.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Key Headlines Impacting Qualcomm

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Clarivate AI50 recognition highlights Qualcomm’s leadership in AI-related tech — a positive credibility signal for longer-term growth in AI chips and platform licensing. Qualcomm Weighs ParkerVision Patent Appeal Against Growing AI50 Recognition
• Positive Sentiment: Increased investor attention flagged by Zacks suggests higher trader interest and volume flows may follow, which can amplify short-term moves. QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm recently reported a quarterly EPS beat and provided Q2 guidance — a fundamental support for the stock despite near-term headwinds.
• Neutral Sentiment: Aggregate analyst coverage shows mixed views (roughly equal buy/hold/sell split), which can limit a decisive directional consensus among institutional holders. Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst rating shifts tied to indices and Nasdaq composition changes have generated chatter but are more technical than company-specific catalysts. Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Draws Mixed Ratings Amid Nasdaq Composite Shifts
• Negative Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded QCOM to Market Perform and cut the price target to $140 (from $175), citing memory-related headwinds and that expectations appear too high — a key near-term negative for sentiment and positioning. Bernstein Lowers Qualcomm (QCOM) PT, Says Expectations “Now Appear Much Too High”
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group trimmed FY2026 and FY2027 EPS estimates modestly — an indicator of slightly softened near-term profit expectations from at least one sell‑side shop. MarketBeat Qualcomm page (Erste estimate note)
• Negative Sentiment: A ParkerVision appeal could reopen aspects of long-running patent litigation — a legal overhang that introduces uncertainty and potential downside risk if trials or rulings shift. Qualcomm Weighs ParkerVision Patent Appeal Against Growing AI50 Recognition

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.