Investors Buy Large Volume of Call Options on Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM)

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) saw some unusual options trading on Friday. Investors bought 120,444 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 165% compared to the typical volume of 45,525 call options.

Qualcomm Trading Up 11.1%

NASDAQ QCOM opened at $148.85 on Friday. Qualcomm has a 1-year low of $121.99 and a 1-year 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 company has a market capitalization of $158.82 billion, a PE ratio of 30.75 and a beta of 1.28. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $134.33 and its 200-day simple moving average is $155.45.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last posted its quarterly 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 net margin of 11.96% and a return on equity of 44.09%. The business had revenue of $12.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.16 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.41 earnings per share. Qualcomm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Qualcomm has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.450-2.650 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Qualcomm will post 8.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Qualcomm declared that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Tuesday, March 17th that authorizes the company to repurchase $20.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the wireless technology company to purchase up to 14.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Qualcomm Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 25th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 4th will be paid a $0.92 dividend. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. This is a boost from Qualcomm’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.89. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 4th. Qualcomm’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 76.03%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.34, for a total transaction of $325,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 30,684 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,999,352.56. This represents a 7.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Heather S. Ace sold 3,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.00, for a total value of $438,400.00. Following 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 position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 9,118 shares of company stock valued at $1,233,705 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Qualcomm

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Twin City Private Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of Qualcomm by 4.4% in the first quarter. Twin City Private Wealth LLC now owns 5,336 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $687,000 after acquiring an additional 225 shares during the last quarter. Syntax Research Inc. increased its position in Qualcomm by 1.2% during the first quarter. Syntax Research Inc. now owns 18,781 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $2,419,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Palouse Capital Management Inc. increased its position in Qualcomm by 78.1% during the first quarter. Palouse Capital Management Inc. now owns 29,467 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $3,795,000 after buying an additional 12,926 shares during the last quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd increased its position in Qualcomm by 2.1% during the first quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd now owns 192,588 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $24,792,000 after buying an additional 4,042 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFM Investors Pty Ltd increased its position in Qualcomm by 3.3% during the first quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 231,569 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $29,821,000 after buying an additional 7,443 shares during the last quarter. 74.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Seaport Research Partners restated a “sell” rating and issued a $100.00 target price on shares of Qualcomm in a report on Monday, March 16th. Rosenblatt Securities reduced their target price on Qualcomm from $225.00 to $190.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Qualcomm in a report on Friday, March 27th. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $200.00 target price on shares of Qualcomm in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Argus reduced their target price on Qualcomm from $205.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $158.25.

Trending Headlines about Qualcomm

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Semiconductor sector rally lifted shares as the chip complex caught fire, driving a sharp intraday move higher. Qualcomm Stock Jumps 11% – Here’s Why It’s Still Down 13% in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large options activity: roughly 120,444 call contracts were bought (about 165% above average), indicating strong bullish positioning that can amplify upside and intraday volume.
• Positive Sentiment: AI narrative supports longer-term upside: Qualcomm is highlighted as an “AI-at-the-edge” name that could benefit from AI-driven demand beyond smartphones. QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM): One of the AI Stocks That Could Break Trillion Dollar Barrier
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays began coverage / issued a new rating — a headline catalyst that can move sentiment but whose net impact depends on the specifics of the view and any price target. Barclays Begins Coverage on Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and investors are focused on key Q2 metrics and guidance ahead of the quarter-end/earnings window; Zacks summarizes what Wall Street is watching for in the upcoming report. Wall Street’s Insights Into Key Metrics Ahead of Qualcomm (QCOM) Q2 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and valuation concerns persist: recent notes highlighted weak smartphone demand, rising memory costs, and limited near-term catalysts for the handset business — factors that have pressured the stock YTD. A Look At Qualcomm (QCOM) Valuation As Analyst Downgrades Highlight Handset Weakness And Limited Near Term Catalysts
• Negative Sentiment: Peer comparison: some coverage contrasts Qualcomm with mobile-chip peers (e.g., Cirrus Logic), noting supply constraints and demand headwinds that could weigh on share gains if handset cycles remain weak. Cirrus Logic vs. Qualcomm: Which Mobile Chip Stock is the Better Buy?

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.