Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Shares Gap Up – Time to Buy?

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM)’s share price gapped up before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $133.95, but opened at $145.61. Qualcomm shares last traded at $146.3980, with a volume of 7,600,791 shares.

Qualcomm News Summary

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?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

QCOM has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird set a $177.00 price objective on Qualcomm in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Cantor Fitzgerald reduced their target price on Qualcomm from $185.00 to $160.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $200.00 price target on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $140.00 price target (down from $175.00) on shares of Qualcomm in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Finally, Loop Capital raised shares of Qualcomm from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $185.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $158.25.

Qualcomm Trading Up 11.1%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 1.83 and a current ratio of 2.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $158.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.75 and a beta of 1.28. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $134.33 and a 200 day moving average price of $155.38.

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, 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 firm had revenue of $12.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.16 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.41 earnings per share. The firm’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, equities analysts forecast that Qualcomm Incorporated will post 8.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Qualcomm Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 4th. This represents a $3.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. This is an increase from Qualcomm’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.89. Qualcomm’s dividend payout ratio is presently 76.03%.

Qualcomm declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, March 17th that permits the company to repurchase $20.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the wireless technology company to repurchase up to 14.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Qualcomm news, EVP Heather S. Ace sold 3,200 shares of Qualcomm stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were 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 $2,245,841. The trade was a 16.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 30,684 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,999,352.56. This represents a 7.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 9,118 shares of company stock valued at $1,233,705. Corporate insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Qualcomm

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

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.