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Earnings & guidance1 min read

Qualcomm shares slide after chipmaker guides fourth-quarter earnings below Wall Street expectations

The company posted mixed third-quarter results and issued a profit forecast that disappointed investors
WHY IT MOVED
The weak earnings outlook matters because it signals Qualcomm's core smartphone chip business remains under pressure even as the industry waits for artificial intelligence features to drive a handset upgrade cycle.
AT PUBLICATION
QCOM155.68▼ -4.42%
Measured when this story was written, not live.
QCOM Earnings & guidance Big Tech & AI InstantWhy Newsroom 1h ago

The numbers

Seeking Alpha reports that Qualcomm delivered mixed third-quarter results and guided fourth-quarter earnings per share below analyst estimates. The report has not been independently confirmed and Qualcomm has not yet issued a public statement. The chipmaker's shares fell in after-hours trading following the guidance miss.

Why it matters

A fourth-quarter profit forecast below expectations suggests the company is not yet seeing the demand recovery investors have been anticipating, despite its push to expand beyond mobile devices into data centers and automotive chips. The guidance miss extends a pattern of disappointment from the chipmaker as it navigates weak handset demand.

How this compares

Qualcomm reported quarterly earnings on July 29, with investors focused on whether AI smartphone features were driving upgrades and on progress in the company's diversification efforts. That same day, the chipmaker posted chip revenue down year-over-year in the third quarter, extending a multi-quarter decline in its core semiconductor business. The company also missed profit expectations in that report despite beating on revenue, underscoring the pressure on margins in its handset business.

What to watch

Investors will look for management commentary on when smartphone demand might stabilize and whether the company's expansion into automotive and Internet of Things chips can offset weakness in mobile. The market will also watch for any updates on design wins with handset makers integrating AI features, which Qualcomm has positioned as a key growth driver for the next product cycle.

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HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE

Sources

Artificially generated from public sources, explained in our own words, and published as fast as possible. Our team holds editorial responsibility. This is analysis, not investment advice.

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