Fool - Investing News·9h ago
These 4 Stocks Are Tied to the Smartphone in Your PocketWhich of these four businesses is still earning more money from your phone?
QUALCOMM's growth has decelerated sharply, with revenue contracting 4.0% year-over-year in 2026Q3, while gross margins have compressed 330 basis points from 56.4% in 2024Q4 to 53.1%, driven by rising memory costs and a richer mix of lower-margin hardware.
Price trend, volume and key moving averages
Start with the evidence for owning the stock and the risks that can break the thesis.
Revenue growth has decelerated from 18.7% in 2024Q4 to -4.0% in 2026Q3, while gross margin contracted 330 basis points to 53.1%, reflecting rising memory costs and a lower-margin product mix.
Qualcomm has secured a 'leading hyperscaler' as a client for custom silicon, with shipments expected to begin in Q4 2026, validating its competitive position in the data center market.
The automotive business has reached a $5 billion annualized run rate, while the IoT segment, including AI laptops, is also showing growth.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon platforms are positioned as key growth drivers for on-device and edge AI across smartphones, PCs, and IoT devices.
Qualcomm faces challenges in the smartphone market, including a global DRAM shortage and a decreasing percentage of iPhones supplied with its modems, expected to be none by 2027.
Tensions between the US and China could negatively impact Qualcomm's addressable markets and licensing revenue.
Increased competition from hyperscalers integrating their own silicon may pressure Qualcomm's margins.
Trailing total returns as of 11/7/2026, which may include dividends or other distributions. Benchmark is S&P 500 (^GSPC).
Check whether operating performance supports the current valuation.
Recent results and news deserve attention only when they alter the forward view.
| Quarter | EPS (Act vs Est) | Revenue (Act vs Est) |
|---|---|---|
Q4 2026Latest Nov 4, 2026 | $2.17+0.5% vs $2.16 | $10.3B+2.0% vs $10.1B |
Q3 2026 Jul 29, 2026 | $2.21-0.9% vs $2.23 | $9.9B+2.6% vs $9.7B |
Q2 2026 Apr 29, 2026 | $2.65+3.5% vs $2.56 | $10.6B+0.1% vs $10.6B |
Q1 2026 Feb 4, 2026 | $3.50+3.2% vs $3.39 | $12.3B+1.1% vs $12.1B |
Which of these four businesses is still earning more money from your phone?
A Democratic sweep of Congress and many governorships in the midterm elections Tuesday prompted market fears of a data center slowdown. Stocks sold off sharply Thursday, with major indexes posting their worst day since April 2025, before recovering some of those losses Friday.
QUALCOMM Incorporated QCOM reported fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 non-GAAP earnings of $2.17 per share, down 28% year over year from $3. Non-GAAP revenues declined 7% to $10.44 billion from $11.27 billion in the year-ago quarter, but came in near the upper end of management's guidance range.
Every AI accelerator rack needs a host CPU, and Arm just started selling its own chip to feed that demand. Shares have still shed a third in a month, so who is right about what comes next?
Benchmark QCOM against direct peers instead of judging its metrics in isolation.
Key metrics vs top competitors for QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM)
| Company | Price | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | Rev Growth (1Y) | Net Margin | ROE | Div Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $165.41 | $173.68B | 33.02 | 13.66% | 12.51% | 23.34% | 2.08% | |
| $293.69 | $1.4T | 61.57 | 23.87% | 41.87% | 44.01% | 0.78% | |
| $141.20 | $123.52B | 45.99 | 42.09% | 27.93% | 16.22% | 0.17% | |
| $82.19 | $12.37B | 26.69 | -2.18% | 7.23% | 5.04% | 3.39% | |
| $114.17 | $10.07B | 31.54 | -1.09% | 10.95% | 11.39% | — | |
| $58.35 | $31.68B | 224.42 | 7.08% | 8.8% | 6.9% | 3.08% |
QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) vs competitors — business, growth, and fundamentals comparison against the closest industry rivals.
Verify the primary filings, follow material updates, and answer the remaining questions.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) SEC filings — annual & quarterly reports (10-K, 10-Q)
Jul 31, 2026·SEC
Jul 29, 2026·SEC
Jun 24, 2026·SEC
Get notified when QCOM posts new earnings or crosses analyst targets
Free. No account needed. Unsubscribe any time.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) stock FAQ — growth, dividends, profitability & financials explained
QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) reported $44.28B in revenue in fiscal year 2025, which is also its trailing twelve months. That is 5341% more than the $813.9M of fiscal year 1996.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) grew revenue by 13.7% in fiscal year 2025, compared with the prior fiscal year.
Yes. QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) earned $9.26B in net income over the trailing twelve months (a 21.0% net margin).
Yes. QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) pays a dividend that yields 2.08% at the current price, a moderate yield.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) had a return on equity (ROE) of 23.3% in fiscal year 2025. That is well above the market's typical 10-15%.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) generated $10.42B in free cash flow over the trailing twelve months.
