QCOM
Showtime after the bell
Qualcomm is set to report second-quarter earnings after the close on Wednesday, April 29, and the Street is walking in with a clipboard and a furrowed brow. Analysts are looking for $2.56 a share on $10.58 billion in revenue, both a bit softer than last year’s numbers.
The stock’s got a lot riding on one call
That might sound like standard earnings-season background noise, but Qualcomm is one of those companies where the story matters almost as much as the print. Shares slipped 0.2% to $150 on Tuesday, which is basically the market equivalent of shrugging while still checking your phone every five minutes.
Investors will be listening for a few things in particular:
- whether handset demand is stabilizing or still acting like a moody teenager
- whether the company can keep pushing deeper into AI-powered devices
- whether any commentary around its reported work with OpenAI adds real color, not just shiny headline fuel
Analysts are already moving the goalposts
Ahead of the report, a handful of well-followed analysts trimmed expectations. Barclays held an Underweight and UBS kept Neutral while cutting its target. BNP Paribas and JPMorgan also turned more cautious, which is Wall Street’s version of putting a raincoat on before leaving the house.
Why you should care
For Qualcomm, earnings season is less about bragging rights and more about whether the company can prove its next growth chapter is more than a nice PowerPoint. If the company beats, guides well, and gives investors something concrete on AI and mobile demand, the stock could finally get a little swagger back.
Big picture: this is one of those calls that can either reset the narrative or remind everyone why chip stocks are never a chill hobby.