Qualcomm beats fiscal fourth-quarter expectations as automotive growth counters smartphone slump
Qualcomm topped fiscal fourth-quarter revenue and adjusted profit estimates on surging automotive chip sales, but shares fell after hours amid handset headwinds, weak earnings guidance, and waning Apple revenue.
Qualcomm reported fiscal fourth-quarter adjusted earnings of $2.17 per share, narrowly topping analyst projections of $2.16. Revenue came in between $10.3 billion and $10.44 billion depending on the reporting metric, exceeding consensus expectations near $10.11 billion despite falling 7% to 8% year over year.[2][3][5][6][7]
The quarter highlighted Qualcomm's ongoing transition away from mobile dependence. QCT automotive revenue surged 89% year over year to $1.99 billion, while IoT sales rose 4% to $1.89 billion. However, handset sales dropped 26% to $5.14 billion, missing expectations. Looking ahead to the fiscal first quarter, the company forecast revenue between $10.4 billion and $11.2 billion and adjusted earnings of $2.15 to $2.35 per share. CNBC reported that the earnings outlook disappointed investors as memory shortages weighed on smartphone demand, while Bloomberg characterized the overall sales forecast as robust.[5][6][8][10]
Shares dropped more than 5% in after-hours trading after the chief financial officer warned that the December quarter will not be its strongest this year because Apple-related revenue is ramping down. Alongside results, Qualcomm announced a multi-generational AI data center collaboration with Amazon, noted that custom AI accelerators began shipping in October with AWS connectivity ramping in November, and confirmed its Dragonfly CPU remains on track for Meta.[1][2][4][5][6][9][11]
Key facts
- Qualcomm posted fiscal fourth-quarter adjusted EPS of $2.17 against estimates of $2.16, alongside GAAP EPS of $1.17.
- Quarterly revenue was reported between $10.3 billion and $10.44 billion, exceeding expectations around $10.11 billion but falling 7% to 8% year over year.
- Automotive revenue jumped 89% year over year to $1.99 billion, while handset revenue declined 26% to $5.14 billion.
- Qualcomm guided fiscal first-quarter revenue to $10.4 billion–$11.2 billion and adjusted EPS to $2.15–$2.35.
- Qualcomm's CFO stated that the December quarter will not be its strongest this year as revenue from Apple ramps down.
- The company announced a multi-generational AI data center collaboration with Amazon, started shipping custom AI accelerators in October, and said its Dragonfly CPU remains on track for Meta.
- Qualcomm shares fell more than 5% in after-hours trading following the report.
Sources · 7 sources
- WS
Wall St Engine@wallstenginePost on X ·
Qualcomm $QCOM CFO says that with Apple revenue ramping down, December will not be its strongest quarter this year.
Open source - SB
Shay Boloor@StockSavvyShayPost on X ·
$QCOM Q4 EARNINGS • Revenue $10.44B vs Est. $10.15B • EPS $2.17 vs Est. $2.16 • Automotive Revenue $1.99B (+89% YoY) Q1 Guidance • Revenue $10.8B vs Est. $10.6B • EPS $2.25 vs Est. $2.29 https://t.co/Ydj7LWXOdJ
Open source - EV
Evan@StockMKTNewzPost on X ·
QUALCOMM $QCOM JUST REPORTED EARNINGS EPS of $2.17 beating expectations of $2.16 🟢 Revenue of $10.32B beating expectations of $10.11B 🟢 https://t.co/TirMF1LxTh
Open source - CB
Crypto BriefingArticle ·
Qualcomm CFO warns falling Apple revenue will dent its December quarter Qualcomm's diversification into automotive and IoT sectors is crucial to offset Apple's revenue decline, impacting its financial stability. The post Qualcomm CFO warns falling Apple revenue will dent its December quarter appeared first on Crypto Briefing .
Open source - TE
Techmeme@TechmemePost on X ·
Qualcomm reports Q4 revenue down 8% YoY to $10.3B, vs. $10.1B est., and handsets revenue down 26% to $5.14B, vs. $5.25B est.; QCOM drops 5%+ after hours (@ianmking / Bloomberg) (Visit Techmeme dot com for the link and full context!)
Open source - WS
Wall St Engine@wallstenginePost on X ·
QUALCOMM $QCOM Q4’26 EARNINGS HIGHLIGHTS 🔹 Revenue: $10.44B (Est. $10.11B) 🟢; -7% YoY 🔹 Adj. EPS: $2.17 (Est. $2.16) 🟢; -28% YoY 🔹 GAAP EPS: $1.17 Q1 Guide: 🔹 Revenue: $10.4B-$11.2B (Est. $10.48B) 🟡 🔹 Non-GAAP EPS: $2.15-$2.35 (Est. $2.27) 🟡 🔹 GAAP EPS: $1.03-$1.23 Segment Revenue: 🔹 QCT Revenue: $9.02B (Est. $8.74B) 🟢; -8% YoY 🔹 Handsets: $5.14B (Est. $5.22B) 🔴; -26% YoY 🔹 Automotive: $1.99B (Est. $1.71B) 🟢; +89% YoY 🔹 IoT: $1.89B (Est. $1.82B) 🟢; +4% YoY 🔹 QTL Revenue: $1.30B (Est. $1.30B) 🟡; -7% YoY Announcements: 🔹 Amazon Collaboration: Multi-generational product collaboration for AI data centers Other Q4 Metrics: 🔹 QCT EBT Margin: 24% Capital Return: 🔹 Buybacks: $1.01B 🔹 Dividend: $0.92/share Comments: 🔸 “Fiscal 2027 marks the start of our non-handset revenue inflection, including the ramp of our Data Center business. Non-handset revenues are projected to grow by more than 60% year-over-year, and we are reiterating our fiscal 2027 Data Center revenue target of $5B.”
Open source - CN
CNBC@CNBCPost on X ·
EARNINGS: Qualcomm delivered better-than-expected results but issued a weak earnings forecast. https://t.co/Nm1x3nnQcu https://t.co/s3WlFJ4jWg
Open source - BL
Bloomberg@businessPost on X ·
Qualcomm, the largest maker of smartphone processors, gave a robust quarterly sales forecast, signaling that a push into new markets has lessened its reliance on the sluggish phone industry https://t.co/arSNWTWtEi
Open source - SB
Shay Boloor@StockSavvyShayPost on X ·
$QCOM says its custom AI accelerators started shipping in October with $AMZN AWS connectivity ramps this month and Dragonfly remains on track for $META in 2028. This is Qualcomm moving beyond smartphone chips into hyperscaler revenue with a target of $15B+ in data center sales by FY29.
Open source - CN
CNBC@CNBCPost on X ·
Qualcomm issues disappointing earnings forecast as memory shortage weighs on smartphone sales https://t.co/vMFAsrhsa2
Open source - WS
Wall St Engine@wallstenginePost on X ·
Qualcomm $QCOM says its custom AI accelerators began shipping in October, AWS connectivity ramps this month and its Dragonfly CPU remains on track to ship to Meta. https://t.co/A2A58KbA9W
Open source