How to buy Qualcomm (QCOM) shares in Australia

Learn how to easily invest in Qualcomm shares.

Qualcomm Incorporated is a semiconductors business with stocks listed in the US. Qualcomm shares (QCOM) are listed on the NASDAQ and all prices are listed in US Dollars. Its last market close was US$164.71 – an increase of 2.67% over the previous week. Here's how to invest if you're based in Australia.

How to buy shares in Qualcomm

  1. Compare share trading platforms. To buy shares in a company listed in the US from Australia you'll need to find a trading platform that offers access to US stock markets. Look for a platform with low brokerage and foreign exchange fees.
  2. Open and fund your brokerage account. Complete an application with your personal and financial details, which will typically include your ID and tax file number. Fund your account with a bank transfer, credit card or debit card.
  3. Search for Qualcomm. Find the share by name or ticker symbol: QCOM. Research its history to confirm it's a solid investment that matches your financial goals.
  4. Purchase now or later. Buy today with a market order or use a limit order to delay your purchase until Qualcomm reaches your desired price. To spread out your risk, look into dollar-cost averaging, which smooths out buying using consistent intervals and amounts.
  5. Decide on how many to buy. At last close price of US$164.71, weigh your budget against a diversified portfolio that can minimise risk through the market's ups and downs. You may be able to buy a fractional share of Qualcomm, depending on your broker.
  6. Check in on your investment. Congratulations, you own a part of Qualcomm. Optimise your portfolio by tracking how your stock — and even the business — performs with an eye on the long term. You may be eligible for dividends and shareholder voting rights.

Have Qualcomm's shares ever split?

Qualcomm's shares were split on a 2:1 basis on 15 August 2004. So if you had owned 1 share the day before the split, the next day you would own 2 shares. This wouldn't directly have changed the overall worth of your Qualcomm shares – just the quantity. However, indirectly, the new 50% lower share price could have impacted the market appetite for Qualcomm shares which in turn could have impacted Qualcomm's share price.

Qualcomm shares at a glance

Information last updated 2024-11-17.
52-week range US$123.1015 - US$229.4443
50-day moving average US$168.3454
200-day moving average US$175.9292
Target price US$209.0607
PE ratio 17.953
Dividend yield US$3.3 (2.12%)
Earnings per share (TTM) US$8.94

Qualcomm share growth calculator

US$

Use the fields above to explore the returns from a historical investment. Please refer to the charts further up this page to see performance over 5 years, or other periods. Past performance doesn't indicate future results. Capital is at risk.

Qualcomm price performance over time

Historical closes compared with the last close of $164.71

1 week (2024-11-13) 2.67%
1 month (2024-10-18) -3.63%
3 months (2024-08-20) -4.30%
6 months (2024-05-20) -16.71%
1 year (2023-11-20) 27.18%
2 years (2022-11-18) 32.99%
3 years (2021-11-19) -10.97%
5 years (2019-11-20) 92.37%

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The value of your investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is no indication of future results.

Is it a good time to buy Qualcomm stock?

The technical analysis gauge below displays real-time ratings for the timeframes you select. However, this is not a recommendation. It represents a technical analysis based on the most popular technical indicators: Moving Averages, Oscillators and Pivots. Finder might not concur and takes no responsibility.

Qualcomm share price volatility

Over the last 12 months, Qualcomm's shares have ranged in value from as little as US$123.1015 up to US$229.4443. A popular way to gauge a stock's volatility is its "beta".

QCOM.US volatility(beta: 1.29)Avg. volatility(beta: 1.00)LowHigh

Beta measures a share's volatility in relation to the market. The market (NASDAQ average) beta is 1, while Qualcomm's is 1.286. This would suggest that Qualcomm's shares are more volatile than the average for this exchange and represent, relatively speaking, a higher risk (but potentially also market-beating returns).

Qualcomm financials

Revenue TTM US$39 billion
Operating margin TTM 26.25%
Gross profit TTM US$25.6 billion
Return on assets TTM 12.07%
Return on equity TTM 42.25%
Profit margin 26.03%
Book value 23.606
Market capitalisation US$178.3 billion
EBITDA US$12 billion

TTM: trailing 12 months

Qualcomm share dividends

33%

Dividend payout ratio: 32.81% of net profits

Recently Qualcomm has paid out, on average, around 32.81% of net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 2.12% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), Qualcomm shareholders could enjoy a 2.12% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In Qualcomm's case, that would currently equate to about $3.3 per share.

While Qualcomm's payout ratio might seem fairly standard, it's worth remembering that Qualcomm may be investing much of the rest of its net profits in future growth.

Qualcomm's most recent dividend payout was on 18 December 2024. The latest dividend was paid out to all shareholders who bought their shares by 4 December 2024 (the "ex-dividend date").

Qualcomm's environmental, social and governance track record

Environmental, social and governance (known as ESG) criteria are a set of three factors used to measure the sustainability and social impact of companies like Qualcomm.

When it comes to ESG scores, lower is better, and lower scores are generally associated with lower risk for would-be investors.

Qualcomm's total ESG risk score

Total ESG risk: 33.12

Socially conscious investors use ESG scores to screen how an investment aligns with their worldview, and Qualcomm's overall score of 33.12 (as at 12/31/2018) is nothing to write home about – landing it in it in the 49th percentile of companies rated in the same sector.

ESG scores are increasingly used to estimate the level of risk a company like Qualcomm is exposed to within the areas of "environmental" (carbon footprint, resource use etc.), "social" (health and safety, human rights etc.), and "governance" (anti-corruption, tax transparency etc.).

Qualcomm's environmental score

Environmental score: 16.85/100

Qualcomm's environmental score of 16.85 puts it squarely in the 8th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that Qualcomm is a leader in its sector terms of its environmental impact, and exposed to a lower level of risk.

Qualcomm's social score

Social score: 10.95/100

Qualcomm's social score of 10.95 puts it squarely in the 8th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that Qualcomm is a leader in its sector when it comes to taking good care of its workforce and the communities it impacts.

Qualcomm's governance score

Governance score: 16.81/100

Qualcomm's governance score puts it squarely in the 8th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. That could suggest that Qualcomm is a leader in its sector when it comes to responsible management and strategy, and exposed to a lower level of risk.

Qualcomm's controversy score

Controversy score: 4/5

ESG scores also evaluate any incidences of controversy that a company has been involved in. Qualcomm scored a 4 out of 5 for controversy – the second-lowest score possible, reflecting that Qualcomm has a damaged public profile.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) summary

Qualcomm Incorporated was last rated for ESG on: 2019-01-01.

Total ESG score 33.12
Total ESG percentile 49.14
Environmental score 16.85
Environmental score percentile 8
Social score 10.95
Social score percentile 8
Governance score 16.81
Governance score percentile 8
Level of controversy 4

Qualcomm overview

QUALCOMM Incorporated engages in the development and commercialization of foundational technologies for the wireless industry worldwide. It operates through three segments: Qualcomm CDMA Technologies (QCT); Qualcomm Technology Licensing (QTL); and Qualcomm Strategic Initiatives (QSI). The QCT segment develops and supplies integrated circuits and system software with advanced connectivity and high-performance, and low-power computing technologies for use in mobile devices; automotive systems for connectivity, digital cockpit, and ADAS/AD; and IoT, including consumer electronic devices, industrial devices, and edge networking products. The QTL segment grants licenses or provides rights to use portions of its intellectual property portfolio, which include various patent rights useful in the manufacture and sale of wireless products comprising products implementing CDMA2000, WCDMA, LTE and/or OFDMA-based 5G products. The QSI segment invests in early-stage companies in various industries, including 5G, artificial intelligence, automotive, consumer, enterprise, cloud, IoT, and extended reality, and investments, including non-marketable equity securities and, to a lesser extent, marketable equity securities, and convertible debt instruments. It also provides development, and other services and sells related products to the United States government agencies and their contractors. The company was incorporated in 1985 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

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