Framework Journal · one stock, one dated entry

Recorded 2026-07-24 · Permanent

An entry written while the outcome is still unknown. It will be scored by what the market does next, and it will never be edited to look cleverer than it was.

In plain words · QUALCOMM Incorporated engages in the development and commercialization of foundational technologies for the wireless industry worldwide.

The label
Markup

read at $166.97

Qualcomm holds its Markup at $166.97.

PHINPOOPSC
  • PHPhase · the trend structure carries the Markup label
  • INInsiders · no filings inside 60 days, left as found
  • POPositioning · no disclosures inside 60 days, left as found
  • OPOptions · no verdict drawn today, left as found
  • SCScreen · passes the values gate
  • edge confirmed
  • edge broken
  • edge forming

Each arm is one independent read. Conviction is not a single call, it is how many edges converge.

The investor read · the season, not the day

As held on the ledger · 2026-07-24
PhaseMarkup
Quantitative stateThe statistical read favours the buyers, held for 17 days
Price$166.97
Valuation17.93 trailing · 15.22 forward price to earnings
Values screenPASS · score 77.5
Beta1.64

The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth

Our framework reads OVERVALUED — it trades above our $157.61 fair value estimate, strong competitive moat.

Read at
$166.97
17.93 P/E · 15.22 fwd
Our fair value
$157.61
6% premium
Analyst target (avg)
$222.50
+33% to current
Target low $100.00Analyst target rangeTarget high $314.00
▲ current $166.97 · | average target

Price history & projections · where it has been, where the models see it going

$332$202$72TODAY5y agoPROJECTIONAnalyst high$314.00 +64%Analyst avg$222.50 +16%Our fair value$157.61 -18%Conservative$90.00 -53%

The valuation journey · where the price sits against fair value and the Street

Current
$166.97
you are here
Conservative
$90.00
-46%
Analyst avg
$222.50
+33%
Our fair value
$157.61
-6%
Analyst high
$314.00
+88%

Green marks levels above today's price, red below; the shaded band is the gap between the price and our fair value.

Reading the gap · Our more conservative model reads it as fully-to-richly valued here, while the Street is more bullish — a quality-at-a-fair-price name rather than a deep-value one.

Revenue growth-3.50%
Profit margin22.31%
Debt to equity55.98
Analyst consensusHold · 30 covering

Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; target range reflects third-party analyst estimates. Analysis, not advice.

The values screen, explained · five checks, plain English

This company clears both standards. There are two widely recognised ways to check whether a company is suitable for a Muslim investor. Here is how it did on each:

The common standard · AAOIFI
Used by most halal investing apps
✓ PASSES
Our stricter standard · asset-based
The one Titan applies
✓ PASSES

What these two standards are, and how they differ →

  • Business activity Its core business isn't built on prohibited lines — no gambling, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, or interest-based lending. Pass
  • Debt load Interest-bearing debt is just 29.5% of its assets, well under the one-third ceiling — it does not run on borrowed money. Pass
  • Interest-bearing cash Cash held in interest-bearing accounts and securities is 9.2% of assets, under the one-third limit. Pass
  • Receivables Money owed to the company is 16.7% of assets, under the 49% limit. Pass
  • Revenue purity Only 1.4% of revenue comes from non-compliant sources — under the 5% line. Pass

Every security is read against two recognised standards: our stricter asset-based screen (ratios measured against total assets) and the more widely used market-value standard (measured against market capitalisation). Where they agree we say so plainly; where they part ways — almost always on the debt check — we show both readings and mark it, because that disagreement is the finding, not a fault. We report the score; you and your scholar make the call.

The business, in plain words · what the numbers mean

Chip giant trades above its cycle support

Qualcomm puts the signal into phones and cars that billions rely on every day. Yet the shares sit 7 percent above our fair value at a forward multiple of 15.5 times while revenue slips 4 percent. The business carries a strong moat and 36 percent return on equity, yet the cyclical nature of semiconductors means this earnings level may already be peaking, not troughing, so the price offers no margin of safety.

A hold consensus from thirty analysts with a median target of 225 dollars shows the market sees limited upside from here. Profit margins at 22 percent remain healthy, but the revenue contraction points to handset and infrastructure demand that has already rolled over. In cyclical sectors a low multiple often signals the top of the cycle rather than a bargain entry point.

The ethical screen clears without issue. Even so, the combination of stretched valuation and fading top-line growth leaves the shares looking expensive for the risks that come with every downturn in chips. Analysis, not advice.

The fundamentals · plain-English read
Forward P/E15.2x
reasonably valued
Trailing P/E17.9x
reasonably valued
Revenue growth-3.5%
revenue is shrinking
Profit margin22.3%
healthy profit margins
Return on equity36.1%
an exceptional return on shareholder capital
Debt to equity0.56
moderate, manageable leverage
Current ratio2.37
comfortably covers its short-term bills
Beta1.64
much more volatile than the market
Market cap$176.0B
Employees52,000

The risks · The things to watch: it already moves more than the market on an average day.

Plain-English interpretation of our own screen data. Analysis, not advice.

Latest news · what the market is reading on QCOM

Headlines from third-party outlets, linked for reference — not our reporting, not advice.

Related securities · others in QCOM's space worth a look

Screened names in the same industry · explore each on its own page.

Where & how to trade · wherever in the world you are

QCOM trades on a US exchange. As a US-listed security it is accessible through almost any international broker offering US markets. New to this, or investing from outside the US? Our guide to accessing global markets covers brokers, currencies and the practical steps.

The trader read · the latest dated commentary

The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with strong ethical credentials. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it A, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 23%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 25%. The street (32 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $178. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis. Entered 2026-07-24 · Markup

The dated journal · newest first, never edited

2026-07-24 Markup $171.78 +0.0% Entry 6

The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with strong ethical credentials. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it A, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 23%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 25%. The street (32 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $178. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.

2026-07-23 Markup $171.78 +0.0% Entry 5

The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with strong ethical credentials. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it A, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 23%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 25%. The street (32 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $178. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.

2026-07-22 Markup $171.78 -20.5% Entry 4

The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 20.5% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with strong ethical credentials. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it A, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 23%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 25%. The street (32 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $178. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.

2026-07-18 Markup $215.94 +0.0% Entry 3

The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with strong ethical credentials. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it A, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 23%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 25%. The street (32 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $178.

2026-07-03 Markup $215.94 +0.0% Entry 2

The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with strong ethical credentials. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns.

2026-07-02 Markup $215.94 Entry 1

The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Ethical screening: PASS with strong ethical credentials. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns.

Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.

The insider ledger · Form 4 filings, as filed

Most recent filings · QCOM
DateInsiderTitleTypeSharesValue
2026-05-21 GRECH PATRICIA Y Officer 829 $167,267
2026-05-20 GRECH PATRICIA Y Officer 1,269 ·
2026-05-12 PALKHIWALA AKASH J Chief Operating Officer 2,500 $529,741
2026-05-05 AMON CRISTIANO RENNO Chief Executive Officer 10,000 $1,850,000
2026-05-04 ACE HEATHER S Officer 3,200 $569,024
2026-05-04 AMON CRISTIANO RENNO Chief Executive Officer 10,000 $1,800,000
2026-04-30 GRECH PATRICIA Y Officer 192 $33,024
2026-04-13 PALKHIWALA AKASH J Chief Operating Officer 2,500 $325,854
2026-04-02 GRECH PATRICIA Y Officer 85 $10,668
2026-03-31 MCLAUGHLIN MARK D Director 538 ·

Public filings, recorded as found. The full tape lives at Insider Intelligence.

The political ledger · congressional disclosures

Disclosures naming QCOM
DatePoliticianPartyTypeAmount
7 May2026 Sara Jacobs Democrat sell 500K–1M
6 May2026 Sara Jacobs Democrat sell 500K–1M
2026-05-07 Sara Jacobs Democrat Sale 500K–1M
2026-05-06 Sara Jacobs Democrat Sale 500K–1M
2026-04-13 Ro Khanna Democrat Sale 1K–15K

What holding actually paid · price plus dividends

If $1,000 had been placed · historical, not a promise
PeriodPrice thenPrice returnDivs per share$1,000 becameTotal return
1 month $236.66 -19.1% $0.92 $813 -18.7%
2 months $127.59 +50.1% $0.92 $1,508 +50.8%
3 months $130.67 +46.5% $0.92 $1,472 +47.2%
6 months $179.45 +6.7% $1.81 $1,077 +7.7%
1 year $155.85 +22.9% $3.59 $1,252 +25.2%
2 years $200.62 -4.6% $7.03 $990 -1.0%
3 years $111.60 +71.6% $10.28 $1,808 +80.8%
5 years $120.85 +58.5% $16.12 $1,718 +71.8%

Historical returns from market close data. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

This entry now belongs to the ledger. Whatever QCOM does next, these words stay.

Qualcomm · QCOM · Markup · $166.97
Recorded 2026-07-24 · before the outcome · scored mechanically

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