Key Highlights

  • Qualcomm's quarterly Dividend of $0.92 per share trades ex-date September 3, 2026, payable September 24, yielding approximately 2.21%.
  • Q3 fiscal 2026 Revenue was $9.947 billion, down 4% year over year, as a 20% decline in handset revenue offset a 61% surge in automotive revenue.
  • Qualcomm returned approximately $2.3 billion to stockholders during the quarter, including $973 million in cash dividends.
  • The company completed its approximately $3.1 billion Acquisition of Modular Inc. on July 28, 2026, to strengthen its AI software foundation.

Qualcomm's (Nasdaq:QCOM) quarterly dividend of $0.92 per share yields approximately 2.21%, remaining steady even as overall revenue declined 4% on continued handset weakness. The more relevant story is the Diversification underway beneath that headline decline: automotive revenue surged 61% and IoT revenue grew 9%, partially offsetting a 20% drop in handset revenue, a shift that will determine whether Qualcomm's dividend program rests on a genuinely broader Earnings base or remains hostage to smartphone-cycle volatility.

Dividend Program and Shareholder Returns

Qualcomm's quarterly common-stock dividend is $0.92 per share, equivalent to $3.68 annually if maintained, trading ex-dividend September 3, 2026, and payable September 24 to stockholders of record as of September 3, yielding approximately 2.21%. During Q3 fiscal 2026, Qualcomm paid $973 million in cash dividends and returned approximately $2.3 billion to shareholders in total through dividends and share repurchases. The dividend is supported by strong cash generation, though future increases depend on handset trends, automotive and IoT growth, and acquisition spending.

About the Company

Qualcomm designs wireless communication semiconductors and licenses intellectual property used in mobile devices and other connected products, through its QCT chip-design segment and QTL patent-licensing segment. The company is actively expanding into automotive, industrial IoT, edge AI, and data-center connectivity to reduce its historical dependence on smartphones, competing on wireless patents, integrated chip platforms, and ecosystem relationships.

Financial Performance Behind the Payout

Qualcomm reported Q3 fiscal 2026 revenue of $9.947 billion, down 4% year over year. GAAP Net Income was $2.002 billion, or $1.87 diluted EPS, while non-GAAP net income was $2.356 billion, or $2.21 diluted EPS. QCT revenue was $8.504 billion, including handset revenue of $5.086 billion, down 20%, automotive revenue of $1.588 billion, up 61%, and IoT revenue of $1.830 billion, up 9%. QTL revenue was $1.278 billion. The company completed its approximately $3.1 billion acquisition of Modular Inc. on July 28, 2026, and had previously closed its approximately $2.3 billion acquisition of Alphawave IP Group in December 2025.

Diversification Is Real, But Handsets Still Dominate the Revenue Base

The central question for Qualcomm's dividend sustainability is whether automotive and IoT growth can scale fast enough to offset continued handset pressure, since handset revenue at $5.086 billion still dwarfs automotive's $1.588 billion even after the segment's 61% growth. Automotive design wins matter strategically because they can create multiyear revenue visibility unlike the shorter, more volatile handset replacement cycle, and the Modular and Alphawave acquisitions are aimed at extending Qualcomm's reach into AI software and data-center connectivity, areas with structurally different growth dynamics than smartphones. Integration risk from two sizable acquisitions completed within roughly seven months of each other is a real near-term consideration investors should weigh against the strategic logic.

Outlook

Qualcomm's dividend is well supported by strong free Cash Flow and diversifying revenue streams, though continued handset weakness and acquisition integration remain the key variables to watch. Investors should monitor automotive design wins and backlog, IoT growth, QCT margins, handset revenue trends, and the integration progress of Modular and Alphawave.