QCOM AI Stock Analysis – Buy, Hold, or Avoid?

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QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM)

$210.31-27.22 (-11.46%) today

Open
$229.84
High
$230.00
Low
$202.00
Volume
38.36M
Mkt Cap
$221.67B
52W High
$247.90
AI Verdict
Confidence 90%
QCOMQUALCOMM Incorporated
AlphaCrew AI
HOLD
Overall
Summary

Qualcomm (QCOM) is fundamentally strong and well-positioned for long-term growth in AI, automotive, and IoT, but the stock is currently overbought with mixed sentiment and technical signals suggesting caution in the near term. While valuation is fair relative to peers and the company boasts robust profitability, short-term upside appears limited after a sharp rally. Investors should wait for a pullback or clearer breakout before adding exposure, but long-term holders can remain confident in the company’s execution and strategic direction.

By Timeframe
Hover for details
WAIT
Short
HOLD
Medium
BUY
Long
Agent Signals
14
Fund
Tech
Val
Sent
Risk

Fundamentals

Essentia
Essentia
Fundamental Analysis
BULLISH

QUALCOMM (QCOM) demonstrates robust financial health, highlighted by consistent revenue growth, strong profitability, and a solid track record of beating earnings expectations. The company is navigating industry cyclicality and achieving resilient margins, positioning it as a formidable player within the semiconductor sector.

Financial Highlights

Q1 2025Q2 2025Q3 2025Q4 2025Q1 2026-$4.5B$0$4.5B$9.0B$13.5BRevenue & Net Income ($)-30%0%30%60%90%Net Margin (%)
  • Revenue
  • Net Income
  • Net Margin (%)

Revenue

$10.60B

-3.46% YoY

Q1 2026

Net Income

$7.37B

162.09% YoY

Q1 2026

Net Margin

69.53%

Q1 2026

Growth Metrics

Revenue Growth YoY

-3.46%

Latest Quarter: Q1 2026

Net Income Growth YoY

162.09%

Latest Quarter: Q1 2026

Revenue Per Share Growth YoY

-0.02%

Latest Quarter: Q1 2026

EPS Growth YoY

171.37%

Latest Quarter: Q1 2026

Book Value Per Share Growth YoY

1.88%

Latest Quarter: Q1 2026

 Q1 2026Q4 2025Q3 2025Q2 2025Q1 2025Q4 2024Q3 2024Q2 2024
Revenue10.6B12.3B11.3B10.4B11.0B11.7B10.2B9.4B
Revenue Growth YoY-3.46%+5.00%+10.03%+10.35%+16.93%+17.45%+18.69%+11.15%
Net Income7.4B3.0B-3.1B2.7B2.8B3.2B2.9B2.1B
Net Income Growth YoY+162.09%-5.53%-206.75%+25.22%+20.89%+14.93%+95.97%+18.08%
EPS$6.92$2.81-$2.84$2.44$2.55$2.86$2.62$1.91
EPS Growth YoY+171.37%-1.75%-208.40%+27.75%+22.60%+15.32%+96.99%+17.90%

Profitability Metrics

Gross Margin

53.77%

TTM

Operating Margin

21.79%

TTM

Net Margin

69.53%

TTM

Return on Equity

40.19%

TTM

Return on Assets

24.02%

TTM

 Q1 2026Q4 2025Q3 2025Q2 2025Q1 2025Q4 2024Q3 2024Q2 2024
Gross Margin53.77%54.55%55.34%55.56%55.03%55.77%56.39%55.56%
Operating Margin21.79%27.47%25.89%26.65%28.42%30.47%25.20%23.65%
Net Margin69.53%24.52%-27.66%25.72%25.61%27.25%28.50%22.67%
Return on Equity (ROE)27.02%13.02%-14.70%9.80%10.14%11.83%11.11%8.63%
Return on Assets (ROA)17.84%8.07%-8.28%6.30%6.50%7.32%6.77%5.23%

Technical Analysis

Candela
Candela
Technical Analysis
NEUTRAL

Qualcomm (QCOM) is currently in a strong uptrend, trading near its 52-week high with bullish momentum confirmed by ADX and MACD indicators. However, the stock is overbought as indicated by a high RSI above 85, suggesting potential near-term consolidation or pullback. Key Fibonacci-based support and resistance levels frame likely trading ranges ahead.

RSI
Hold
Neutral69

No extreme reading

03070100
Trend
Buy
Uptrend

Price in uptrend

+32.9% from 200 SMA
ADX
Buy
Strong Trend47

Strong trend active

Strong
MA Cross
Hold
Death Cross

Watching for cross

50
200

Key Technical Values

Price
$210.31
50 SMA
$144.98
150 SMA
$157.84
200 SMA
$158.30
52W High
$247.90
52W Low
$121.99

Price with Moving Averages

50-day, 150-day and 200-day simple moving averages

Price
50 SMA
150 SMA
200 SMA

Relative Strength Index

Momentum oscillator measuring speed and magnitude of price changes

RSI (14)

≤30 Oversold
≥70 Overbought
69Neutral

Earnings

Essentia
Essentia
Fundamental Analysis
BULLISH

QUALCOMM (QCOM) demonstrates robust financial health, highlighted by consistent revenue growth, strong profitability, and a solid track record of beating earnings expectations. The company is navigating industry cyclicality and achieving resilient margins, positioning it as a formidable player within the semiconductor sector.

Latest Earnings

Q1 2026 Earnings (Mar 29, 2026)

Earnings Per Share (EPS)

Beat

Actual

$2.65

Estimated

$2.56

Surprise

+$0.09

Surprise %

+3.52%

Revenue

Beat

Actual

$10.6B

Estimated

$10.59B

Surprise

+$8.5M

Surprise %

+0.08%

Historical Earnings

 Q1 2026Q4 2025Q3 2025Q2 2025Q1 2025Q4 2024Q3 2024Q2 2024
Earnings Per Share
EPS (Actual)$2.65$3.50$3.00$2.77$2.85$3.41$2.69$2.33
EPS (Estimated)$2.56$3.39$2.87$2.71$2.82$2.96$2.56$2.25
EPS Surprise+$0.09+$0.11+$0.13+$0.06+$0.03+$0.45+$0.13+$0.08
% Diff+3.5%+3.2%+4.5%+2.2%+1.1%+15.2%+5.1%+3.6%
Revenue
Revenue (Actual)$10.6B$12.25B$11.27B$10.37B$10.98B$11.67B$10.24B$9.39B
Revenue (Estimated)$10.59B$12.12B$10.77B$10.33B$10.64B$10.91B$9.9B$9.21B
Revenue Surprise+$8.5M+$131.39M+$500.86M+$33.65M+$334.7M+$758.18M+$339.28M+$178.63M
% Diff+0.1%+1.1%+4.7%+0.3%+3.1%+6.9%+3.4%+1.9%

Valuation

Valorem
Valorem
Valuation Analysis
FAIRLY VALUED

Qualcomm currently trades at a premium valuation relative to its semiconductor peers, reflecting strong profitability, solid cash flow generation, and a strategic pivot into high-growth segments like automotive and data center AI. Despite recent earnings growth challenges and mixed revenue trends, its robust financial health and operational efficiency support a valuation that is slightly above its historical averages but aligned with sector expectations.

Valuation Metrics

Price to Earnings

22.32

TTM

Price to Sales

4.92

TTM

Price to Book

8.12

TTM

Enterprise Value to EBITDA

17.16

TTM

Enterprise Value to Revenue

5.14

TTM

 Q1 2026Q4 2025Q3 2025Q2 2025Q1 2025Q4 2024Q3 2024Q2 2024
Price to Earnings4.5915.44-14.5316.3115.0813.4916.2526.32
Price to Sales12.7815.1516.0716.7815.4514.7018.5323.86
Price to Book4.978.048.546.396.126.387.229.09
Enterprise Value to EBITDA53.3857.3954.0149.0456.7341.9161.3985.05
Enterprise Value to Revenue13.7115.7716.8317.6816.1215.2119.2724.58

Sentiment & Analyst Ratings

Pulse
Pulse
Sentiment Analysis
MIXED

Qualcomm's market sentiment is mixed, reflecting optimism around its AI infrastructure pivot and automotive growth, tempered by concerns about smartphone market dependence and competitive pressures. Analyst opinions vary with several recent upgrades highlighting growth potential, while others have downgraded amid cautious outlooks. Retail and media buzz capture the stock's strong rally but also recognize possible near-term volatility.

Analyst Recommendations

As of May 1, 2026
Strong SellSellHoldBuyStrong Buy
Hold
3.1 / 5.0
Based on 41 analyst ratings
Strong Sell
3
Sell
2
Hold
24
Buy
10
Strong Buy
2

Risk Assessment

Sentinel
Sentinel
Risk Assessment
MODERATE

Qualcomm (QCOM) exhibits a solid financial base with strong liquidity and manageable leverage. However, the semiconductor industry dynamics—memory shortages, fierce competition, and regulatory challenges—pose near-term earnings and margin risks, particularly in handset revenue streams. Diversification into automotive, AI compute, and data center sectors offers growth potential but requires monitoring given mixed analyst sentiment and market uncertainties.

Liquidity & Solvency

Current Ratio

2.37

Latest Quarter: Q1 2026

Quick Ratio

1.61

Latest Quarter: Q1 2026

Debt-to-Equity

0.56

Latest Quarter: Q1 2026

Debt-to-Assets

0.27

Latest Quarter: Q1 2026

 Q1 2026Q4 2025Q3 2025Q2 2025Q1 2025Q4 2024Q3 2024Q2 2024
Liquidity Metrics
Current Ratio2.372.512.823.192.732.622.402.39
Quick Ratio1.611.831.942.382.081.991.791.78
Solvency Metrics
Debt-to-Equity0.560.640.770.540.530.540.590.59
Debt-to-Assets0.270.280.330.270.260.260.280.28

Liquidity Assessment

Current Ratio: 2.37(Strong)

Quick Ratio: 1.61(Strong)

The company has strong liquidity with sufficient short-term assets to cover liabilities.

Solvency Assessment

Debt-to-Equity: 0.56(Moderate)

Debt-to-Assets: 0.27(Low)

The company maintains a balanced capital structure with manageable debt levels.

Frequently Asked Questions about QCOM

AI Answers: Common Questions About QCOM

Get AI-powered answers to the questions investors ask most about QUALCOMM Incorporated

QCOM is a fundamentally strong company trading at a P/E of 23.53 and near its 52-week high ($228.04), but the current RSI of 85.8 signals overbought conditions. While long-term prospects are attractive, short-term entry is risky; waiting for a pullback or breakout confirmation is prudent.

If you are a long-term investor, there is no fundamental reason to sell as QCOM's margins, growth, and balance sheet remain robust. However, traders who bought near recent lows may consider taking partial profits given overbought technicals and potential for near-term consolidation.

The biggest risks are handset market cyclicality (high revenue concentration), regulatory and antitrust scrutiny (especially in China), and competitive threats from MediaTek and Samsung. Sentinel notes a debt-to-equity of 0.56 and debt at 27% of assets, but liquidity is strong (current ratio >2.3), so financial distress is low.

Key resistance is at $228.04 (52-week high), with upside extension targets at $235-240 if a breakout occurs. Downside support is at $182-$186.80. Analyst price targets average below the current price, reflecting skepticism about near-term upside.

QCOM is fairly valued relative to peers, with a P/E of 23.53 and EV/EBITDA slightly above historical averages but justified by growth in AI and automotive. High ROE (~40%) and strong liquidity support the premium, but the stock is not deeply undervalued.

QCOM is fundamentally strong, with 13.7% YoY revenue growth in 2025, industry-leading margins (gross 54-56%, net 25-28% normalized), and a robust balance sheet (current ratio >2.3, interest coverage >13x). Recurring licensing revenues and expanding end-markets underpin sustainability.

Technical analysis shows a strong uptrend but overbought conditions (RSI 85.8) and a 'death cross' in moving averages. The stock is likely to consolidate or pull back in the short term; best entries are on a pullback to $182-$186 or a breakout above $228 with volume.

Key catalysts include upcoming earnings, new Snapdragon and AI platform launches, automotive/IoT revenue growth, and macro events such as U.S.-China trade developments. The $20B share buyback program may also support the stock.

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