Qualcomm (QCOM)
Market Price (12/4/2025): $174.09 | Market Cap: $187.7 BilSector: Information Technology | Industry: Semiconductors
Qualcomm (QCOM)
Market Price (12/4/2025): $174.09Market Cap: $187.7 BilSector: Information TechnologyIndustry: Semiconductors
Investment Highlights
Why It Matters
Which of these 2 stories sounds closer for this stock?
1. Generates cash flow
The stock generated 4% or more of the share price (called cash flow yield), and shows moderate 10-15% or more growth.
2. Riding a trend
Think Tesla during the pandemic of 2020 when EVs were riding a cultural high, or Nvidia in the current AI boom, or even Figma. These companies don’t have enough yield, or, enough growth, or both - however - they are riding a trend. They have momentum. These can be more volatile - they don’t have the floor of strong cash flow
| Megatrend and thematic driversMegatrends include Artificial Intelligence, Electric Vehicles & Autonomous Driving, and 5G & Advanced Connectivity. Themes include AI Chips, Show more. |
| Megatrend and thematic driversMegatrends include Artificial Intelligence, Electric Vehicles & Autonomous Driving, and 5G & Advanced Connectivity. Themes include AI Chips, Show more. |
Valuation, Metrics & Events
QCOM Stock
Why The Stock Moved
Qualitative Assessment
AI Generated Analysis | Feedback
Here are the key points for why Qualcomm's (QCOM) stock moved by approximately 8.4% during the period from August 31, 2025, to December 4, 2025:
1. Qualcomm reported stronger-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter 2025 earnings. On November 5, 2025, Qualcomm announced its Q4 2025 earnings, with an Adjusted EPS of $3.00, surpassing analyst consensus estimates of $2.87. Quarterly revenue also exceeded expectations, rising 10.0% year-over-year to $11.27 billion against an estimated $10.74 billion. This robust financial performance, particularly the revenue beat and strong growth in non-Apple (QCT) and Automotive/IoT sectors, signaled a healthy underlying business.
2. Significant product launches and AI advancements were unveiled at the Snapdragon Summit 2025. Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit, held around September 24-25, 2025, brought major announcements including the new flagship mobile chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, featuring enhanced AI and power efficiency. The company also introduced the Snapdragon X2 Series for PCs, aiming to significantly expand its presence and competitive edge in the PC market with advanced AI capabilities. Additionally, plans for Google to merge Android and ChromeOS for PCs, leveraging Snapdragon's AI stack, highlighted Qualcomm's pivotal role in the future of computing. News on October 27, 2025, further detailed Qualcomm "taking aim at Nvidia" with new AI chips, signifying a strategic push into this high-growth area.
Stock Movement Drivers
Return vs. Risk
Price Returns Compared
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Total [1] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Returns | |||||||
| QCOM Return | 77% | 22% | -39% | 35% | 8% | 13% | 120% |
| Peers Return | 38% | 44% | -18% | 64% | 35% | 32% | 375% |
| S&P 500 Return | 16% | 27% | -19% | 24% | 23% | 16% | 112% |
Monthly Win Rates [3] | |||||||
| QCOM Win Rate | 67% | 58% | 33% | 50% | 33% | 50% | |
| Peers Win Rate | 44% | 52% | 35% | 48% | 48% | 51% | |
| S&P 500 Win Rate | 58% | 75% | 42% | 67% | 75% | 70% | |
Max Drawdowns [4] | |||||||
| QCOM Max Drawdown | -30% | -19% | -42% | -6% | -6% | -18% | |
| Peers Max Drawdown | -21% | -7% | -31% | -2% | -7% | -23% | |
| S&P 500 Max Drawdown | -31% | -1% | -25% | -1% | -2% | -15% | |
[1] Cumulative total returns since the beginning of 2020
[2] Peers: AVGO, AMD, MSI, AMBQ, GLSA. See QCOM Returns vs. Peers.
[3] Win Rate = % of calendar months in which monthly returns were positive
[4] Max drawdown represents maximum peak-to-trough decline within a year
[5] 2025 data is for the year up to 12/3/2025 (YTD)
How Low Can It Go
| Event | QCOM | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Inflation Shock | ||
| % Loss | -45.1% | -25.4% |
| % Gain to Breakeven | 82.2% | 34.1% |
| Time to Breakeven | 559 days | 464 days |
| 2020 Covid Pandemic | ||
| % Loss | -36.5% | -33.9% |
| % Gain to Breakeven | 57.5% | 51.3% |
| Time to Breakeven | 132 days | 148 days |
| 2018 Correction | ||
| % Loss | -34.2% | -19.8% |
| % Gain to Breakeven | 52.0% | 24.7% |
| Time to Breakeven | 78 days | 120 days |
| 2008 Global Financial Crisis | ||
| % Loss | -48.2% | -56.8% |
| % Gain to Breakeven | 93.0% | 131.3% |
| Time to Breakeven | 812 days | 1480 days |
Compare to AVGO, AMD, MSI, AMBQ, GLSA
In The Past
Qualcomm's stock fell -45.1% during the 2022 Inflation Shock from a high on 12/15/2021. A -45.1% loss requires a 82.2% gain to breakeven.
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Asset Allocation
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Latest Trefis Analyses
Trade Ideas
Select past ideas related to QCOM. For more, see Trefis Trade Ideas.
| Date | Ticker | Company | Category | Trade Strategy | 6M Fwd Rtn | 12M Fwd Rtn | 12M Max DD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11302025 | ENPH | Enphase Energy | Dip Buy | DB | CFO/Rev | Low D/EDip Buy with High Cash Flow MarginsBuying dips for companies with significant cash flows from operations and reasonable debt / market cap | 0.9% | 0.9% | -0.9% |
| 11262025 | PD | PagerDuty | Dip Buy | DB | FCF Yield | Low D/EDip Buy with High Free Cash Flow YieldBuying dips for companies with significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap) and reasonable debt / market cap | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.0% |
| 11212025 | CRM | Salesforce | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | 3.3% | 3.3% | -0.1% |
| 11212025 | HUBS | HubSpot | Dip Buy | DB | CFO/Rev | Low D/EDip Buy with High Cash Flow MarginsBuying dips for companies with significant cash flows from operations and reasonable debt / market cap | 5.1% | 5.1% | 0.0% |
| 11212025 | FIVN | Five9 | Dip Buy | DB | FCF Yield | Low D/EDip Buy with High Free Cash Flow YieldBuying dips for companies with significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap) and reasonable debt / market cap | 4.0% | 4.0% | 0.0% |
| 10102025 | QCOM | Qualcomm | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | 11.1% | 11.1% | 0.0% |
| 12312022 | QCOM | Qualcomm | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | 9.7% | 35.1% | -5.7% |
| 06302022 | QCOM | Qualcomm | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | -13.0% | -4.5% | -18.2% |
| Date | Ticker | Company | Category | Trade Strategy | 6M Fwd Rtn | 12M Fwd Rtn | 12M Max DD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11302025 | ENPH | Enphase Energy | Dip Buy | DB | CFO/Rev | Low D/EDip Buy with High Cash Flow MarginsBuying dips for companies with significant cash flows from operations and reasonable debt / market cap | 0.9% | 0.9% | -0.9% |
| 11262025 | PD | PagerDuty | Dip Buy | DB | FCF Yield | Low D/EDip Buy with High Free Cash Flow YieldBuying dips for companies with significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap) and reasonable debt / market cap | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.0% |
| 11212025 | CRM | Salesforce | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | 3.3% | 3.3% | -0.1% |
| 11212025 | HUBS | HubSpot | Dip Buy | DB | CFO/Rev | Low D/EDip Buy with High Cash Flow MarginsBuying dips for companies with significant cash flows from operations and reasonable debt / market cap | 5.1% | 5.1% | 0.0% |
| 11212025 | FIVN | Five9 | Dip Buy | DB | FCF Yield | Low D/EDip Buy with High Free Cash Flow YieldBuying dips for companies with significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap) and reasonable debt / market cap | 4.0% | 4.0% | 0.0% |
| 10102025 | QCOM | Qualcomm | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | 11.1% | 11.1% | 0.0% |
| 12312022 | QCOM | Qualcomm | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | 9.7% | 35.1% | -5.7% |
| 06302022 | QCOM | Qualcomm | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | -13.0% | -4.5% | -18.2% |
Research & Analysis
Invest in Strategies
Wealth Management
Peer Comparisons for Qualcomm
| Peers to compare with: |
Financials
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Returns
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Comparison Analyses
Segment Financials
Revenue by Segment
| $ Mil | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualcomm Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) Technologies (QCT) | 33,196 | 30,382 | 37,677 | 27,019 | 16,493 |
| Qualcomm Technology Licensing (QTL) | 5,572 | 5,306 | 6,358 | 6,320 | 5,028 |
| Nonreportable segments | 176 | ||||
| Qualcomm Strategic Initiatives (QSI) | 18 | 28 | 31 | 45 | 36 |
| Unallocated revenues | 0 | ||||
| Reconciling Items | 104 | 134 | 182 | 1,974 | |
| Total | 38,962 | 35,820 | 44,200 | 33,566 | 23,531 |
Returns Analyses
SEC Filings
Expand for More| Report Date | Filing Date | Filing |
|---|---|---|
| 9302025 | 11052025 | 10-K 9/28/2025 |
| 6302025 | 7302025 | 10-Q 6/29/2025 |
| 3312025 | 4302025 | 10-Q 3/30/2025 |
| 12312024 | 2052025 | 10-Q 12/29/2024 |
| 9302024 | 11062024 | 10-K 9/29/2024 |
| 6302024 | 7312024 | 10-Q 6/23/2024 |
| 3312024 | 5012024 | 10-Q 3/24/2024 |
| 12312023 | 1312024 | 10-Q 12/24/2023 |
| 9302023 | 11012023 | 10-K 9/24/2023 |
| 6302023 | 8022023 | 10-Q 6/25/2023 |
| 3312023 | 5032023 | 10-Q 3/26/2023 |
| 12312022 | 2022023 | 10-Q 12/25/2022 |
| 9302022 | 11022022 | 10-K 9/25/2022 |
| 6302022 | 7272022 | 10-Q 6/26/2022 |
| 3312022 | 4272022 | 10-Q 3/27/2022 |
| 12312021 | 2022022 | 10-Q 12/26/2021 |
Insider Activity
Expand for More| Owner | Title | Filing Date | Action | Price | Shares | TransactedValue | Value ofHeld Shares | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Palkhiwala Akash J. | CFO & COO | 11102025 | Sell | 169.03 | 880 | 148,749 | 6,027,897 | Form |
| 1 | Grech Patricia Y | SVP & CAO | 11102025 | Sell | 172.87 | 203 | 35,093 | Form | |
| 2 | ACE HEATHER S | Chief Human Resources Officer | 11102025 | Sell | 172.87 | 1,600 | 276,592 | 3,387,042 | Form |
| 3 | Palkhiwala Akash J. | CFO & COO | 10202025 | Sell | 162.91 | 282 | 45,940 | 7,264,782 | Form |
External Quote Links
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| CNBC | Etrade |
| MarketWatch | Unusual Whales |
| YCharts | Perplexity Finance |
| FinViz |
