QCOM is a mature quality compounder dominating mobile connectivity. While near-term hardware revenue faces cyclical headwinds and the gradual loss of Apple as a modem customer, the QTL licensing segment provides strong cash flow, and automotive/IoT expansion offers durable new growth avenues. However, current valuation is completely detached from fundamental DCF realities. Fair value range: low $102, high $171, with mid-point at $136.
Our financial-history view of QCOM (QCOM) covers revenue, gross profit, operating income, and net income across the past five fiscal years, with year-over-year growth and margin context for each line.
The revenue trajectory is reported in the financial-history section with year-over-year growth rates. Direction and acceleration are summarised inline; the full table sits within the parent financials tab.
We track operating income alongside operating margin so the reader can separate top-line growth from operating leverage. The numbers analysis subsection flags one-offs, restructuring, and stock-based-compensation effects when material.
Net income is shown together with EPS so dilution and buybacks are visible alongside profit. Where reported net income diverges materially from operating cash flow, the discrepancy is called out in the numbers-analysis subsection.
FAQ
QCOM — frequently asked questions
Based on our latest analysis, QCOM looks meaningfully overvalued. The current price is $219 versus a composite fair-value midpoint of $136 (range $102–$171), which implies roughly 37.9% downside to the midpoint.
Our composite fair-value range for QCOM is $102–$171, with a midpoint of $136. The range is triangulated across multiple valuation models (discounted earnings, forward earnings scenarios, peer multiples, and where applicable owner earnings or reverse DCF) and weighted by reliability for QCOM's archetype.
Our current rating for QCOM is Sell with a confidence score of 87/100. Sell. The composite fair value midpoint of $136.11 indicates significant downside risk. Risk-reward is highly unfavorably skewed given the premium valuation against structural modem headwinds. This is research for educational purposes, not personalized investment advice.
The top risks our latest report flags for QCOM are: Accelerated loss of key OEM customers; QTL regulatory crackdown; Commoditization of Edge AI. The single biggest risk is Accelerated loss of key OEM customers: Apple abruptly transitions entirely to internal modems faster than expected, while Samsung shifts premium mix to Exynos.
Our current rating for QCOM is Sell, issued with a confidence score of 87/100 and a moat score of 9/10. The rating reflects the composite fair-value range ($102–$171) versus the current price of $219.
QCOM is classified as a mature compounder stock. Archetype determines how every downstream parameter — discount rate, terminal growth, deceleration curve, terminal multiple, scenario probability weights, scorecard weights, and which valuation models are prioritized — is calibrated for QCOM.
