NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2025, 4:06 p.m. ET — Market closed
Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) heads into the weekend with U.S. stock markets shut, after the shares finished Friday’s regular session essentially flat and trading activity remained thin in the post-Christmas lull. Qualcomm closed at $174.81, up about 0.02% on the day, after moving within a narrow intraday range that underscored the “holiday tape” dynamic now shaping many large-cap names. 1
In after-hours indications tracked by market data services, QCOM was modestly lower at $174.54 (down about 0.15%), a typical kind of drift when liquidity drops and there are no fresh company-specific catalysts. 2
Market backdrop: a quiet finish to the week, with “Santa Claus rally” in focus
Qualcomm’s calm finish came as Wall Street broadly marked time. Reuters reported that the major U.S. indexes ended a light-volume post-holiday Friday session nearly unchanged, with investors looking for direction during the seasonal stretch often referred to as the “Santa Claus rally.” 3
Carson Group chief market strategist Ryan Detrick told Reuters that the market was “simply catching our breath” after a strong run, adding that the Santa Claus rally period still had time to play out. For semiconductor bellwethers like Qualcomm, that matters because year-end sentiment and positioning can amplify otherwise small moves—especially when volumes are thin. 3
What moved Qualcomm: no major new headline, but analysts stayed focused on handset demand
While Qualcomm did not appear to have a single dominant headline in the last day, sell-side style analysis continued to frame the stock around its core smartphone exposure and the durability of premium handset demand.
A Zacks analysis distributed via Nasdaq.com on Dec. 26 argued Qualcomm is “riding” strength in the premium handset market, highlighting the company’s Snapdragon momentum and noting that earnings estimates have been rising. The same analysis also emphasized competitive pressure from rivals such as MediaTek and the longer-term risk of handset makers pushing further into in-house silicon. 4
On the broader industry demand picture, market-research projections remain constructive: Precedence Research has projected the global 5G chipset market could expand to roughly $126.4 billion by 2030 (from an estimated $18.67 billion in 2022), illustrating why investors continue to treat leading modem and RF suppliers as multi-year beneficiaries of 5G device cycles. 5
A second theme gaining attention: Qualcomm’s next PC push heading into CES season
Beyond phones, investors are also watching Qualcomm’s ambitions in PCs and “AI PC” workloads—particularly with the CES window approaching.
A TrendForce “CES 2026 preview” item published Dec. 26 flagged Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite as a potential show highlight, describing expectations for device demos and higher-end configurations (including an “Extreme” variant discussed in industry reporting). Mentions like this can matter for QCOM because the market narrative has increasingly rewarded chipmakers that can credibly broaden their addressable markets beyond handsets. 6
Wall Street forecasts: where price targets cluster now
With markets closed for the weekend, investors often re-check the “street map” before Monday’s open—especially in a year-end window when positioning can reset quickly.
As of late Friday, MarketWatch’s visible analyst-summary data showed an average Qualcomm price target around $192.83, with targets ranging from $157 on the low end to $225 on the high end (median around $200). 7
Zacks’ compiled price-target snapshot similarly referenced a target range of $157 to $225, with the average target implying a low-double-digit percentage move from the recent close (figures vary by data vendor and update timing). 8
Technical and positioning check: mixed signals after the last close
For investors who track technical context into the next session, widely followed indicator dashboards described a mixed-to-soft near-term setup after Friday’s close.
Investing.com’s technical summary for QCOM (timestamped Dec. 26, 2025) showed an overall “Sell” summary on its indicator blend, with the 14-day RSI at 46.834 (neutral) and StochRSI in “oversold” territory on that specific measure—an example of how different oscillators can point in different directions at the same time. 9
If you’re watching Monday: what matters before the next session opens
Because U.S. equities are closed today (Saturday), the next actionable window for QCOM investors is the next regular session on Monday, Dec. 29. Between now and then, the bigger driver may be macro and positioning rather than Qualcomm-specific news flow.
Reuters’ week-ahead outlook noted the S&P 500 was sitting within about 1% of the 7,000 mark and highlighted how year-end flows can influence price action. Murphy & Sylvest senior wealth advisor and market strategist Paul Nolte told Reuters that “momentum” remained with the bulls, while also pointing to the mechanics of last-minute portfolio adjustments that can create choppy trading in thin liquidity. 10
One macro catalyst to watch early next week: Reuters highlighted that investors were eyeing Federal Reserve meeting minutes due Tuesday, and Glenmede vice president of investment strategy Michael Reynolds said the minutes could help show how the Fed is thinking and potentially “move markets a bit.” For Qualcomm—like many large-cap semiconductors—rate expectations matter because they influence equity risk appetite and the discount rate applied to longer-duration growth narratives. 10
Reuters also described a late-year “rotation” dynamic, quoting Ameriprise Financial chief market strategist Anthony Saglimbene on shifts from prior leaders into under-owned areas. If that rotation continues, QCOM’s relative performance could depend as much on sector flows (semiconductors, mega-cap tech, “AI-adjacent” plays) as on near-term company news. 10
Key Qualcomm dates and company context to keep on the radar
Even in a quiet headline window, investors typically anchor to the next scheduled catalyst:
- Next earnings window: Zacks’ earnings calendar estimate points to Feb. 4, 2026 for Qualcomm’s next quarterly report (calendar estimates can change; investors typically verify with the company’s official IR schedule). 11
- Recent corporate update still in the background: Qualcomm’s investor-relations press-release listing shows the company’s most recent major corporate release was Dec. 18, 2025, when Qualcomm said it completed its acquisition of Alphawave Semi—a deal frequently discussed as part of the company’s broader push into data-center connectivity and adjacent AI infrastructure themes. 12
Bottom line
With the market closed, Qualcomm stock enters Monday’s session setup in “wait mode”: the shares are holding near $175, after-hours action was muted, and the weekend narrative is less about a single Qualcomm headline and more about how year-end trading dynamics—and next week’s Fed communication—shape risk appetite for large-cap semiconductors.
When trading resumes, investors will likely watch (1) broader market tone during the Santa Claus rally window, (2) any fresh updates tied to Qualcomm’s premium handset pipeline and competition, and (3) growing attention to Qualcomm’s PC roadmap as CES season approaches. 3
