New York, Jan 16, 2026, 13:35 EST — Regular session
- Qualcomm (QCOM) shares slipped roughly 0.6% in afternoon trading following the company’s announcement of a $0.89 quarterly dividend
- RBC initiated coverage with a neutral rating, while TD Cowen lowered its price target
- Investors are eyeing Qualcomm’s Feb. 4 earnings call for clearer insight into handset and AI demand
Qualcomm (QCOM.O) shares slipped 0.6% to $160.47 Friday afternoon, marking a continued dip for the chipmaker despite announcing its upcoming quarterly cash dividend.
The dividend matters mainly because the stock has been falling, pushing investors to latch onto anything resembling support — whether yield, valuation, or an upcoming catalyst. That list is pretty thin at the moment.
Wall Street is already sizing up Qualcomm ahead of its upcoming earnings, as fresh analyst initiations and target adjustments roll in. The broader chip sector is moving on new signals about demand and spending.
Qualcomm announced it will distribute a quarterly cash dividend of $0.89 per common share on March 26. The payout will go to shareholders registered by March 5. 1
The shares closed Thursday down 1.9% at $161.39, marking their fifth consecutive day of losses. They remain over 20% below their 52-week high reached in late October, MarketWatch data shows. 2
RBC Capital’s Srini Pajjuri kicked off coverage with a “Sector Perform” rating — a neutral stance compared to the broader sector — and set a $180 price target. He noted the stock looks fairly valued but flagged a lack of near-term catalysts. Pajjuri highlighted challenges from Apple and Samsung eating into market share, along with the threat that rising memory costs could dampen smartphone demand. 3
TD Cowen lowered its price target to $190 from $205 but maintained a buy rating, MT Newswires reported. 4
Qualcomm has had to jostle for attention amid the chip sector, where Taiwan Semiconductor’s outlook stole the spotlight this week. TSMC projected 2026 capital spending between $52 billion and $56 billion, with revenue potentially jumping nearly 30% in U.S. dollars, according to Reuters. That forecast gave the broader semiconductor space a lift. “While the likes of Nvidia, Broadcom and AMD fight it out for chip supremacy, TSMC ultimately benefits as the key manufacturer of all their chips,” said Ben Barringer, head of technology research at Quilter Cheviot. 5
Qualcomm is leaning hard on on-device AI and new markets beyond smartphones in its pitch to investors, but hard data to back that narrative is still missing. “Whoever has presence on the edge is going to win,” CEO Cristiano Amon told TIME, insisting that more AI workloads will run on devices instead of remote data centers.
That said, a dividend and strategic plans won’t solve immediate issues if demand falls short. A weaker handset market, harsher pricing pressures, or any hint the company is losing key customer content could shift attention sharply back to earnings risk instead of yield.
Qualcomm’s Q1 FY26 earnings call is set for Feb. 4 at 1:45 p.m. PT. Investors will be scanning for fresh data on handset unit sales, margin trends, and any revenue boost from AI-related products. 6
