September 1st, A Major Chip Price Hike
On July 29, 2026 (US time), Qualcomm reported its Q3 FY2026 (Q2 CY) results. Revenue reached $9.95 billion, up 4% and beating estimates, but net profit fell 25% YoY to $2 billion. The "revenue up, profit down" trend is attributed to rising costs across semiconductor manufacturing, testing, packaging, and materials. In response, CEO Cristiano Amon announced price increases for all chip products, effective September 1, to pass on costs and restore historical profit margins. The stock fell over 5% in after-hours trading due to weaker-than-expected Q4 profit guidance.
Qualcomm's core chip business (QCT) revenue was $8.5 billion, down 5% YoY. Handset revenue dropped 20% to $5.09 billion, reflecting a weak global smartphone market with declining shipments. In contrast, Automotive revenue surged 61% to $1.59 billion, marking 23 consecutive quarters of double-digit growth, and IoT revenue grew 9% to $1.83 billion. The licensing division (QTL) revenue was $1.28 billion, down 3%.
Facing smartphone headwinds and a reduced component share in future iPhones, Qualcomm is aggressively diversifying. It is betting heavily on the data center AI market, maintaining a target of $5 billion in data center revenue for FY2027. The company completed the acquisition of AI software firm Modular to build an open software platform for generative AI.
For Q4 FY2026, Qualcomm forecasts revenue between $9.7B and $10.5B, roughly in line with expectations. However, non-GAAP EPS guidance of $2.05-$2.25 fell short of the $2.36 analyst consensus. Management expects the chip price increases to gradually improve margins after September 1, but near-term profitability pressure from costs and the weak handset market persists.
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