Qualcomm Price Prediction: The Forecast Is Far More Bullish Than Analysts

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By Vandita Jadeja Published

Quick Read

  • QCOM trades at $205, but our model targets $257, implying 26% upside while Wall Street's consensus of $187 implies downside.

  • CEO Cristiano Amon doubled Qualcomm's 2029 non-handset revenue target to $40 billion and set a $15 billion AI data center goal, triggering a 12% pre-market surge.

  • Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Qualcomm didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

Qualcomm Price Prediction: The Forecast Is Far More Bullish Than Analysts

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Our Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM | QCOM Price Prediction) price prediction sits well above where the sell side has landed, and that gap is the entire story. Wall Street’s consensus target of $186.50 implies downside from today’s quote.

Our model sees the opposite. The 24/7 Wall St. price target for Qualcomm is $257.53, pointing to roughly 25.69% upside over the next 12 months, with a 90% confidence read. The recommendation is buy.

An infographic titled 'QUALCOMM (QCOM) • NASDAQ - 12-Month Price Prediction'. It visually presents a 12-month target price of $257.53, indicating a +25.69% upside from an implied current price of $204.90, with a clear 'BUY' recommendation and 'HIGH CONFIDENCE (90%)'. The infographic is divided into sections: 'HOW WE GOT THERE' shows bar charts for Forward P/E-Based Price ($267.26), Trailing P/E-Based Price ($204.90), and Analyst Consensus ($186.50), leading to a Pre-Adjustment Weighted Base of $230.56. 'OUR ADJUSTMENTS (247FACTOR)' details the impact of Sector Momentum (+ MULTIPLIER), Earnings Growth (+ ACCELERATION), Volatility (- ADJUSTMENT), and Market Cap (- DAMPENER) contributing to an Adjustment Factor of +11.7%, which results in the Final Target of $257.53. The 'BULL CASE: WHAT COULD GO RIGHT' section lists four positive factors: Record Auto Revenue (+38% YoY), Hyperscaler Custom Silicon Shipments (Late 2026), $20B Buyback Authorization, and $15B AI Data Center Sales Target (By 2029), with a Bull Case Target of $267.77 (+30.69%). The 'BEAR CASE: WHAT COULD GO WRONG' section outlines four negative factors: Memory Supply Constraints, China Concentration & Softness, Apple Modem Replacement Risk, and US-China Trade Tensions, leading to a Bear Case Target of $208.91 (+1.96%). The 'THE BOTTOM LINE' section reiterates the 'BUY' recommendation with a $257.53 target (+25.69%), supported by strong upside driven by data center entry and diversification.
24/7 Wall St.

24/7 Wall St. Price Target Summary

Metric Value
Current Price $204.90
24/7 Wall St. Price Target $257.53
Upside 25.69%
Recommendation BUY
Confidence Level 90%

A Sharp Pullback After an Even Sharper Rally

Qualcomm has had a wild quarter. The stock is up 21.03% year to date and 34.18% over the past year, but shares have given back 17.34% over the last month after touching $258.96 in May. The recovery off the March low near $129.39 followed a blowout Q1 FY26 earnings report and a Q2 report that delivered $2.65 non-GAAP EPS on $10.6 billion in revenue, a 3.67% EPS beat and the fourth consecutive quarter topping consensus.

The June 24 Investor Day was the catalyst behind this week’s bullish chatter. Management doubled the 2029 non-handset revenue target to $40 billion and laid out a $15 billion AI data center sales target, which triggered a +12% pre-market reaction. Retail sentiment on r/wallstreetbets jumped to 76 on the news.

QCOM price target

The Case for $267 and Higher

The bull thesis rests on diversification finally cracking the “Qualcomm is just a handset story” narrative. Q2 FY26 automotive revenue hit a record $1.33 billion, up 38% YoY, while IoT grew 9%. CEO Cristiano Amon flagged that a “leading hyperscaler custom silicon engagement is on track for initial shipments later this calendar year,” validating the data center entry.

Add the Alphawave Semi acquisition, the Snapdragon AI-at-the-edge roadmap, a fresh $20 billion buyback authorization, and our bull case targets $267.77, a 30.69% total return.

QCOM earnings explorer

The Risks Worth Watching

Q3 FY26 guidance of $9.2 billion to $10 billion in revenue and non-GAAP EPS of $2.10 to $2.30 implies another sequential decline. Handsets fell 13% YoY on memory supply constraints and China softness. Apple’s eventual modem in-sourcing, customer vertical integration, and US-China trade friction are real overhangs, and insider activity skews to net selling.

That said, management expects Chinese handset revenue to bottom in Q3 and recover sequentially. Bears would also note operating income dropped 26% YoY, though heavy data center R&D is a big reason why. Our bear case lands at $208.91.

Qualcomm Price Prediction 2026-2030

The 24/7 Wall St. price target of $257.53 reflects high confidence that the data center optionality is mispriced at a forward P/E of 18x. I’d be a buyer here if the hyperscaler shipments land on schedule in late 2026 and China handsets stabilize as guided.

I’d stay on the sidelines if Q3 guidance is cut again or if the Apple modem transition accelerates. The setup favors the bulls.

QCOM price scenario

Looking further ahead, here is where our model projects QCOM could trade, assuming the data center ramp and FY29 revenue goals stay on track.

Year 24/7 Wall St. Price Target
2026 $257
2027 $295
2028 $335
2029 $370
2030 $400

These projections assume Qualcomm executes on its $40 billion non-handset 2029 target. Significant downside could result from Apple’s modem transition or a hyperscaler engagement slipping into 2027.

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About the Author Vandita Jadeja →

Vandita Jadeja is a financial copywriter who loves to read and write about stocks. She believes in buying and holding for long term gains. Her knowledge of words and numbers helps her write clear stock analysis. She has contributed to several publications, including the Joy Wallet, Benzinga, The Motley Fool and InvestorPlace.

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