Qualcomm (QCOM)
Market Price (12/5/2025): $174.72 | Market Cap: $188.3 BilSector: Information Technology | Industry: Semiconductors
Qualcomm (QCOM)
Market Price (12/5/2025): $174.72Market Cap: $188.3 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
| Attractive yieldTotal YieldTotal Yield = Earnings Yield + Dividend Yield, Earnings Yield = Net Income / Market Cap Dividend Yield = Total Dividends / Market Cap is 5.2%, Dividend Yield is 2.1%, FCF Yield is 7.1% | Weak multi-year price returns2Y Excs Rtn is -9.3%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -15% | |
| Attractive operating marginsOp Mgn LTMOperating Margin = Operating Income / Revenue Reflects profitability before taxes and before impact of capital structure (interest payments). is 28% | ||
| Attractive cash flow generationCFO/Rev LTMCash Flow from Operations / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 32%, FCF/Rev LTMFree Cash Flow / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 29%, CFO LTM is 14 Bil, FCF LTM is 13 Bil | ||
| Low stock price volatilityVol 12M is 38% | ||
| Megatrend and thematic driversMegatrends include Artificial Intelligence, Electric Vehicles & Autonomous Driving, and 5G & Advanced Connectivity. Themes include AI Chips, Show more. |
| Attractive yieldTotal YieldTotal Yield = Earnings Yield + Dividend Yield, Earnings Yield = Net Income / Market Cap Dividend Yield = Total Dividends / Market Cap is 5.2%, Dividend Yield is 2.1%, FCF Yield is 7.1% |
| Attractive operating marginsOp Mgn LTMOperating Margin = Operating Income / Revenue Reflects profitability before taxes and before impact of capital structure (interest payments). is 28% |
| Attractive cash flow generationCFO/Rev LTMCash Flow from Operations / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 32%, FCF/Rev LTMFree Cash Flow / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 29%, CFO LTM is 14 Bil, FCF LTM is 13 Bil |
| Low stock price volatilityVol 12M is 38% |
| Megatrend and thematic driversMegatrends include Artificial Intelligence, Electric Vehicles & Autonomous Driving, and 5G & Advanced Connectivity. Themes include AI Chips, Show more. |
| Weak multi-year price returns2Y Excs Rtn is -9.3%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -15% |
Valuation, Metrics & Events
QCOM Stock
Why The Stock Moved
Qualitative Assessment
AI Generated Analysis | Feedback
Here are the key points explaining a significant stock movement for Qualcomm (QCOM) in a recent period:
1. Strong Fiscal Q4 2023 Earnings Beat and Optimistic Outlook
Qualcomm reported better-than-expected results for its fiscal fourth quarter of 2023, surpassing Wall Street analysts' revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share (EPS) estimates. The company also provided an optimistic revenue and EPS guidance for the first fiscal quarter of 2024, which exceeded analyst expectations and indicated early signs of market stabilization and demand recovery.
2. Leadership in On-Device Generative AI and Mobile Computing
The company highlighted its technological leadership in on-device generative AI and mobile computing performance, reinforced by announcements made at its Snapdragon Summit. This strategic positioning in the burgeoning AI market contributed positively to investor sentiment.
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% | 16% | 126% |
| Peers Return | 38% | 44% | -18% | 64% | 35% | 31% | 374% |
| S&P 500 Return | 16% | 27% | -19% | 24% | 23% | 17% | 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 12/4/2025 (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.
Preserve Wealth
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Asset Allocation
Actively managed asset allocation strategies protect wealth. Learn more.
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 | 1.9% | 1.9% | -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 | 3.7% | 3.7% | 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 | 5.1% | 5.1% | -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 | 5.5% | 5.5% | 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 | 8.0% | 8.0% | 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 | 13.4% | 13.4% | 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 | 1.9% | 1.9% | -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 | 3.7% | 3.7% | 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 | 5.1% | 5.1% | -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 | 5.5% | 5.5% | 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 | 8.0% | 8.0% | 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 | 13.4% | 13.4% | 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
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Mkt Price | 215.98 |
| Mkt Cap | 269.6 |
| Rev LTM | 32,027 |
| Op Inc LTM | 2,999 |
| FCF LTM | 5,448 |
| FCF 3Y Avg | 7,026 |
| CFO LTM | 6,408 |
| CFO 3Y Avg | 7,983 |
Growth & Margins
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Rev Chg LTM | 20.8% |
| Rev Chg 3Y Avg | 11.2% |
| Rev Chg Q | 16.0% |
| QoQ Delta Rev Chg LTM | 3.7% |
| Op Mgn LTM | 25.1% |
| Op Mgn 3Y Avg | 24.8% |
| QoQ Delta Op Mgn LTM | 0.6% |
| CFO/Rev LTM | 23.5% |
| CFO/Rev 3Y Avg | 26.7% |
| FCF/Rev LTM | 21.5% |
| FCF/Rev 3Y Avg | 24.0% |
Valuation
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Mkt Cap | 269.6 |
| P/S | 7.5 |
| P/EBIT | 41.0 |
| P/E | 52.3 |
| P/CFO | 35.1 |
| Total Yield | 2.6% |
| Dividend Yield | 0.5% |
| FCF Yield 3Y Avg | 3.1% |
| D/E | 0.1 |
| Net D/E | 0.0 |
Returns
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| 1M Rtn | 1.4% |
| 3M Rtn | 9.7% |
| 6M Rtn | 33.3% |
| 12M Rtn | 29.8% |
| 3Y Rtn | 122.4% |
| 1M Excs Rtn | 0.1% |
| 3M Excs Rtn | 3.8% |
| 6M Excs Rtn | 17.9% |
| 12M Excs Rtn | 17.6% |
| 3Y Excs Rtn | 53.2% |
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 |
