TLDR
- Chief Financial Officer and COO Akash Palkhiwala divested $330,815 in QCOM shares on March 12, 2026, with sale prices spanning $131.03 to $134.70
- Shares have plummeted 23.6% year-to-date, currently sitting at $129.82, dangerously close to the 1-year bottom of $120.80
- Company insiders have collectively offloaded 45,501 shares valued at $7.78 million within the past 90 days
- Capitolis Liquid Global Markets slashed its QCOM stake by 54.4%, dumping 322,000 shares during Q3
- Wall Street consensus points to “Hold” with a $168.00 price objective, while Bank of America maintains “Underperform” at $145
Qualcomm’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer Akash Palkhiwala executed a stock sale totaling $330,815 on March 12, 2026. The divestiture occurred through a predetermined Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement established on December 8, 2025.
The executive unloaded 2,530 shares with transaction prices between $131.03 and $134.70 per share. After completing these sales, Palkhiwala maintains direct ownership of 33,099 company shares.
With shares currently priced at $129.82, Palkhiwala’s exit came at a premium to today’s valuation. The semiconductor giant has experienced a brutal 23.6% decline year-to-date and trades precariously near its annual nadir of $120.80.
This transaction represents just one piece of a larger insider selling trend. Throughout the previous 90-day period, company insiders have collectively disposed of 45,501 QCOM shares totaling roughly $7.78 million in aggregate value.
Executive Vice President Ann Chaplin liquidated 7,180 shares last December at an average price of $178.03, trimming her holdings by 23%. EVP Heather Ace followed suit in February, selling 3,200 shares at $137.00 apiece, representing a 16% reduction in her ownership stake.
Company insiders collectively control a mere 0.05% of outstanding shares. Institutional investment firms command 74.35% of the equity.
Institutional Activity
Among institutional players, Capitolis Liquid Global Markets LLC dramatically reduced its QCOM exposure by 54.4% during Q3, disposing of 322,000 shares. The firm’s remaining 270,400-share position carried an approximate value of $44.98 million according to regulatory filings.
Several smaller funds made modest upward adjustments. Waypoint Wealth Counsel, Greykasell Wealth Strategies, Baron Wealth Management, Certified Advisory Corp, and Elser Financial Planning each accumulated between 61 and 63 additional shares throughout the identical quarter.
Qualcomm’s 50-day moving average stands at $149.54, while the 200-day moving average registers at $162.36. Current trading prices remain substantially beneath both technical benchmarks.
The chipmaker commands a market capitalization of $138.52 billion, trades at a price-to-earnings multiple of 26.82, and exhibits a beta coefficient of 1.25. The company’s debt-to-equity ratio measures 0.64.
Analyst Ratings
Wall Street sentiment remains divided. Bank of America launched coverage on March 10 with an “Underperform” designation and $145 price objective, pointing to decelerating earnings expansion compared to industry rivals and the expected departure of Apple as a customer.
Royal Bank of Canada reduced its price target from $180 down to $150 while maintaining a “Sector Perform” stance. Evercore lowered its projection from $157 to $134. Piper Sandler retained its “Overweight” recommendation with a $200 target. Wells Fargo elevated QCOM to “Equal Weight” from “Underweight,” simultaneously boosting its target to $150.
The aggregate rating from 24 Wall Street analysts stands at “Hold,” accompanied by a mean price target of $168.00.
Qualcomm unveiled Q1 2026 financial results on February 4, delivering earnings per share of $3.50 against analyst expectations of $3.38. Revenue reached $12.25 billion, surpassing the $12.16 billion consensus estimate and representing a 4.7% year-over-year increase.
Management provided Q2 2026 EPS guidance ranging from $2.45 to $2.65. The analyst community projects full-year EPS of $9.39.
Qualcomm announced a quarterly dividend distribution of $0.89 per share, scheduled for payment on March 26, 2026. The annualized dividend yield currently sits at 2.7%, with a payout ratio of 73.55%.
