New York, January 7, 2026, 14:36 EST — Regular session
- Qualcomm shares down about 2.6% in afternoon trade after report on Samsung 2nm foundry talks
- Chip stocks mixed as investors weigh next-node manufacturing risk and cost
- Qualcomm’s fiscal Q1 results are due Feb. 4, a near-term catalyst for guidance
QUALCOMM Incorporated shares fell 2.6% to $177.79 on Wednesday afternoon after Chief Executive Cristiano Amon was quoted by the Korea Economic Daily as saying the chip designer is talking first with Samsung Electronics about contract manufacturing of two‑nanometre (2nm) chips. Qualcomm was not immediately available for comment and Samsung said it does not comment on specific customers, the report said.
The timing matters because 2nm is the next rung on the chipmaking ladder. Smaller process nodes can pack more transistors into the same space, which usually helps speed and power use — a key selling point in phones, PCs and cars.
It also puts the spotlight back on foundries, the contract manufacturers that actually build chips designed by “fabless” companies like Qualcomm. A change in manufacturing partner can move cost, supply risk and product timing in ways markets tend to notice late, then all at once.
Qualcomm’s drop outpaced the iShares Semiconductor ETF, which was down about 1.2%. Taiwan Semiconductor’s U.S.-listed shares slid about 2.3% and AMD fell about 2.3%, while Nvidia rose about 1.3% in a mixed session for chip names.
At CES this week, Qualcomm also put fresh emphasis on PCs. It unveiled Snapdragon X2 Plus chips for Windows laptops and said the top model can deliver a 35% single‑core performance jump versus the prior generation, with systems expected in the first half of 2026.
Autos were another thread at the Las Vegas show. Qualcomm highlighted work with China’s Leapmotor on a cross‑domain controller using its Snapdragon Cockpit Elite and Ride Elite platforms, alongside partnerships with Google and ZF tied to software-defined vehicles and driver-assistance systems.
It also leaned into robotics. Qualcomm introduced its Dragonwing IQ10 Series for humanoids and industrial mobile robots, and executive Nakul Duggal said the company is moving machines “out of the labs and into real-world environments,” while Figure CEO Brett Adcock called Qualcomm’s platform “a valuable building block.” Nasdaq
But the Samsung talks are just that — talks. Leading-edge nodes can bring yield and cost surprises, and any slip in volume production tends to show up in margins and launch schedules, not press releases.
Technically, the stock is trading above its 50-day moving average of about $173.90 and its 200-day moving average near $159.51, according to Barchart. Shares are still roughly 14% below the 52-week high of $205.95, based on a 52-week range of $120.80 to $205.95.
Next up is Qualcomm’s fiscal first-quarter earnings conference call on Feb. 4 at 1:45 p.m. PT, when investors will look for color on demand, margins and any shift in manufacturing strategy tied to next-generation chips.
