Erste Group Bank Predicts Reduced Earnings for Qualcomm

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) – Analysts at Erste Group Bank lowered their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Qualcomm in a note issued to investors on Thursday, April 2nd. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now expects that the wireless technology company will post earnings of $8.29 per share for the year, down from their prior estimate of $8.32. 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 $8.19 EPS.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The wireless technology company reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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. Qualcomm’s revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. Qualcomm has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.450-2.650 EPS.

QCOM has been the topic of several other research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $140.00 target price (down from $175.00) on shares of Qualcomm in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Daiwa Securities Group cut Qualcomm from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $140.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on Qualcomm from $180.00 to $150.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Qualcomm in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. They set an “underweight” rating and a $132.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Susquehanna cut Qualcomm from a “positive” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $140.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Qualcomm has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $163.77.

Qualcomm Trading Up 2.8%

Shares of QCOM stock opened at $127.51 on Wednesday. Qualcomm has a 12-month low of $121.99 and a 12-month high of $205.95. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $136.53 and its 200 day moving average is $158.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $136.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.35 and a beta of 1.28.

Qualcomm Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 5th were paid a $0.89 dividend. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 5th. Qualcomm’s dividend payout ratio is 73.55%.

Qualcomm announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Tuesday, March 17th that permits the company to repurchase $20.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the wireless technology company to repurchase up to 14.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Qualcomm

In other news, 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 value of $458,787.45. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 35,599 shares in the company, valued at $4,900,202.35. This represents a 8.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Heather S. Ace sold 3,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.00, for a total value of $438,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 16,393 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,245,841. This trade represents a 16.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 6,618 shares of company stock valued at $907,855 over the last 90 days. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Qualcomm by 72.2% during the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Qualcomm in the third quarter worth $27,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of Qualcomm by 90.9% in the fourth quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 168 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Qualcomm in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its stake in shares of Qualcomm by 17,000.0% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 171 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. 74.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Qualcomm News

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Underlying fundamental support — Qualcomm reported an EPS beat for its most recent quarter and set Q2 guidance, which continues to be a primary bullish driver and can explain intraday strength despite recent weakness.
• Neutral Sentiment: In‑depth analysis of the stock’s outlook after a sharp pullback: Yahoo Finance evaluates QCOM’s recent decline alongside its FY2025 results, providing context on valuation and long‑term earnings power. Evaluating Qualcomm (QCOM) After A Sharp Share Price Decline And Strong FY2025 Start
• Neutral Sentiment: Heightened investor attention — Zacks and Yahoo articles flag QCOM as a “most‑watched” stock, which can boost trading volume and volatility but isn’t a direct fundamental catalyst. Is Most‑Watched Stock QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) Worth Betting on Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst trims from Erste Group — the firm slightly reduced FY2026 and FY2027 EPS estimates (FY2026: ~$8.32→$8.29; FY2027: ~$8.25→$8.19), a modest downward revision versus consensus that can add selling pressure and keep sentiment cautious.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent price weakness and short‑term slide — multiple reports note the stock’s recent declines and lower closes, reflecting a multi‑month pullback that may prompt further technical selling until sentiment stabilizes. Qualcomm (QCOM) Stock Slides as Market Rises: Facts to Know Before You Trade

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.