QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Shares of QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM - Get Free Report) have earned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the thirty brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, fourteen have issued a hold recommendation, fourteen have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $205.32.

QCOM has been the subject of several analyst reports. Susquehanna dropped their target price on shares of QUALCOMM from $230.00 to $210.00 and set a "positive" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on shares of QUALCOMM from $200.00 to $215.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Evercore ISI decreased their price target on shares of QUALCOMM from $199.00 to $179.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Melius Research assumed coverage on shares of QUALCOMM in a report on Monday, December 9th. They set a "hold" rating and a $180.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of QUALCOMM from $207.00 to $204.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 7th.

QUALCOMM Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:QCOM traded down $6.78 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $166.92. The stock had a trading volume of 5,548,274 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,575,889. The company's 50-day moving average price is $164.32 and its 200-day moving average price is $165.67. The company has a market capitalization of $184.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a quick ratio of 1.99, a current ratio of 2.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. QUALCOMM has a fifty-two week low of $149.43 and a fifty-two week high of $230.63.

QUALCOMM (NASDAQ:QCOM - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The wireless technology company reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.93 by ($0.07). QUALCOMM had a net margin of 25.94% and a return on equity of 39.51%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that QUALCOMM will post 9.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

QUALCOMM Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 6th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.04%. QUALCOMM's payout ratio is 36.32%.

Insider Activity

In related news, General Counsel Ann C. Chaplin sold 7,717 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.59, for a total transaction of $1,239,273.03. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel now owns 17,153 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,754,600.27. This represents a 31.03 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.54, for a total transaction of $484,620.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 48,778 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,879,598.12. The trade was a 5.79 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 45,964 shares of company stock worth $7,583,661 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.08% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On QUALCOMM

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Reston Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in QUALCOMM during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new position in QUALCOMM during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Banque Transatlantique SA bought a new position in QUALCOMM during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. CKW Financial Group bought a new position in QUALCOMM during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in QUALCOMM during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Institutional investors own 74.35% of the company's stock.

About QUALCOMM

QUALCOMM Incorporated engages in the development and commercialization of foundational technologies for the wireless industry worldwide. It operates through three segments: Qualcomm CDMA Technologies (QCT); Qualcomm Technology Licensing (QTL); and Qualcomm Strategic Initiatives (QSI). The QCT segment develops and supplies integrated circuits and system software based on 3G/4G/5G and other technologies for use in wireless voice and data communications, networking, computing, multimedia, and position location products.