Qualcomm Now Has The Pieces To Compete Across The AI Stack: Analyst

Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOM ) stock rose more than 2% in Monday’s premarket session as improving risk appetite lifted large-cap technology stocks.

Nasdaq futures gained 1.15%, while S&P 500 futures advanced 1.02%, supporting a broad rebound across semiconductor names.

The upbeat market backdrop comes as Counterpoint Research said Qualcomm is becoming one of the few semiconductor companies capable of delivering end-to-end AI infrastructure, spanning hyperscale data centers and edge devices.

AI Expansion Beyond Smartphones Gains Credibility In a research note published Friday following Qualcomm’s Investor Day, Counterpoint analyst Neil Shah said the chipmaker’s expanding AI portfolio and recent acquisitions position it as a credible full-stack AI solutions provider, with a path toward generating $100 billion in annual recurring revenue within the next five to seven years.

The analyst said Qualcomm’s diversification strategy extends well beyond smartphones and addresses the rapidly growing AI data center market, which remains in its early stages.

The AI data center market is still in its infancy, and it is not a “zero-sum” game, Shah noted.

Acquisitions Build A Full AI Stack Counterpoint highlighted Qualcomm’s recent acquisitions as key building blocks in its AI strategy.

The firm said NUVIA provides Qualcomm’s Oryon CPU architecture, enabling Arm-based processors that now span smartphones, PCs, automotive applications and future AI data centers.

Qualcomm also unveiled its C1000 server CPU, with Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META ) expected to become its first hyperscale deployment customer beginning around fiscal 2029.

The report also pointed to Qualcomm’s AI accelerator roadmap, custom silicon capabilities and its proprietary High Bandwidth Compute architecture, which aims to improve AI performance while reducing memory-related bottlenecks.

Counterpoint said the company’s recent acquisition of Modular strengthens its software stack by enabling AI workloads to run across different hardware platforms using an open architecture.

Data Center Opportunity Comes Into Focus Counterpoint said Qualcomm still faces gaps in networking and switching technologies, but noted that its acquisition of Alphawave Semi significantly expands its interconnect portfolio while bringing experienced leadership to its growing data center business.

The research firm also highlighted Qualcomm’s long-term financial targets unveiled during Investor Day.

According to the report, management expects its AI data center business to generate about $15 billion in revenue by fiscal 2029, while the company’s non-handset businesses are projected to surpass handset revenue over the same period.

Automotive remains another major growth driver, with Qualcomm’s automotive design-win pipeline reaching $65 billion and expected to generate $10 billion in annual recurring revenue through fiscal 2029.

Counterpoint concluded that Qualcomm’s combination of silicon, software and ecosystem scale makes the company uniquely positioned to compete across the AI value chain, from hyperscale data centers to connected devices.

Technical Setup Remains Mixed Qualcomm continues to trade above its longer-term trend lines.

The stock sits about 15.6% above its 100-day simple moving average of $166.92 and 14.9% above its 200-day simple moving average of $167.92.

However, the shares remain 11.3% below the 20-day simple moving average of $217.51 and 2.9% below the 50-day simple moving average of $198.72.

That suggests the recent move is a rebound attempt rather than a confirmed recovery.

The 50-day moving average crossed above the 200-day moving average in May, forming a bullish “golden cross” that continues to support the intermediate-term trend.

Even so, traders will likely look for the stock to reclaim the 50-day moving average before turning more bullish.

Momentum indicators remain cautious.

The MACD remains below its signal line, indicating buying momentum has weakened following the previous rally.

Key technical levels to watch include resistance around $206, near the 50-day moving average, and support near $190.50, which aligns with a recent trading floor.

Earnings And Analyst Outlook Qualcomm is expected to report quarterly earnings on or around July 29.

Wall Street expects earnings per share of $2.09 on revenue of $9.67 billion, compared with EPS of $2.77 and revenue of $10.37 billion in the year-ago quarter.

The stock trades at about 20.4 times earnings and carries a consensus Hold rating, with an average analyst price forecast of $209 based on coverage from 50 analysts.

Recent analyst actions include: Benchmark maintained Buy and raised its price forecast to $300 on June 25.

Barclays maintained Underweight and increased its price forecast to $245 on June 25.

UBS maintained Neutral and lifted its price forecast to $235 on June 25.

Price Action QCOM Stock Price Activity: Qualcomm shares were up 2.37% at $193.88 during premarket trading on Monday, according to Pro data.

Photo via Shutterstock Read Also: Alphabet Hit By Another Wave Of AI Departures: Report