New York, Jan 22, 2026, 15:02 EST — Regular session
- QCOM shares were up about 0.6% at $157.33 in afternoon trading.
- Qualcomm set Feb. 4 for its fiscal first-quarter results after the close, with a conference call at 1:45 p.m. PT.
- The stock snapped a seven-session losing streak on Wednesday but was still about 24% below its 52-week high.
Qualcomm (QCOM.O) shares rose about 0.6% on Thursday, a modest lift as investors looked past a choppy start to January and toward the chip designer’s next earnings update.
The timing matters because Qualcomm’s report is close enough to pull positioning forward, especially with sentiment still fragile after a string of declines. Traders want a cleaner read on demand and pricing in the company’s biggest markets.
Semiconductor trading was mixed. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) was up about 0.2% and iShares’ SOXX was also slightly higher; Nvidia (NVDA.O) and AMD (AMD.O) gained while Broadcom (AVGO.O) slipped and Intel (INTC.O) was little changed.
Qualcomm said it will post fiscal first-quarter results after U.S. markets close on Feb. 4, then host a conference call at 4:45 p.m. ET. The company’s guidance tends to do as much work as the numbers.
Some analysts have leaned cautious into the print, largely because the story still runs through phones. In a note, Mizuho analyst Vijay Rakesh said Qualcomm has “handsets accounting for >70% of QCT revenue” and warned that “headwinds to the handset industry limit upside.” QCT is Qualcomm’s chip business, and Rakesh also cut his price target — a broker’s estimate of where the stock could trade. Finviz
Separately, a recent 8-K filing showed director Christopher D. Young told the board he would step down effective at Qualcomm’s 2026 annual meeting, citing the time demands of his new role as CEO of Vertex, Inc.
The stock’s slide was sharp earlier in the week. Qualcomm fell 3.36% on Tuesday to close at $154.07, even as the broader market sold off, before rebounding a day later.
For Feb. 4, investors are likely to focus on whether handset demand stabilizes and how much lift comes from newer growth areas like PCs, autos and connected devices. Those businesses are watched as a buffer when smartphone cycles soften.
But the setup cuts both ways. If Qualcomm’s outlook shows weaker-than-expected demand or tighter margins, the stock’s recent attempt to find a floor could fade quickly.
The next hard catalyst is the Feb. 4 earnings call, scheduled for 1:45 p.m. PT, when investors will press for detail on guidance and the shape of demand into the spring.
