Qualcomm just put dividend investors on the clock.
The chip giant declared its latest quarterly dividend on Jan. 16, 2026. And if you’re not paying attention to one specific date on the calendar, you could miss out on a payout that’s been growing steadily for more than two decades.
Here’s what Qualcomm (QCOM) investors need to know, and why time is running out.
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What is Qualcomm’s dividend record date?
The record date for Qualcomm’s latest dividend is March 5, 2026. That’s the cutoff. If you don’t own shares before that date, you won’t receive the payment.
Stock trades typically settle in one business day, so investors need to own shares at least one day before the ex-dividend date, which in this case is March 5, to qualify for the payout.
The quarterly dividend is $0.89 per share. It will be paid out on March 26, 2026.
That might not sound dramatic on its own. But for QCOM stock investors keeping score, context matters.
Key Qualcomm stock dividend metrics
Analysts tracking Qualcomm stock forecast free cash flow to increase from $12.82 billion in fiscal 2025 (ended in September) to $13.8 billion in 2030.
Given an annual dividend expense of $3.8 billion, QCOM stock has a payout ratio of roughly 30%. A low payout provides Qualcomm with enough room to easily double the dividend while reinvesting in acquisitions and lowering balance-sheet debt.
Wall Street forecasts the annual dividend to increase to $4.28 per share in 2030, up from $3.48 per share in 2025.
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Here’s a look at the numbers that paint the clearest picture of Qualcomm’s dividend profile:
- Quarterly dividend: $0.89 per share
- Annual dividend: $3.56 per share
- Dividend yield: Approximately 2.5% (based on recent share price near $143)
- Payout ratio: 30% of FCF
- 20-year dividend growth (CAGR): 12.14%
- Ex-dividend date: March 5, 2026
- Record date: March 5, 2026
- Payment date: March 26, 2026
Qualcomm posted record Q1 numbers
Qualcomm just wrapped up its fiscal first quarter of 2026 with results that turned heads. Total revenues stood at $12.3 billion, a company record. Non-GAAP earnings per share came in at $3.50, also a record, and at the high end of guidance.
Automotive revenue grew 15% year over year (YoY) to $1.1 billion. That’s another record. The chipset business is showing up in everything from flagship smartphones to connected cars.
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon highlighted strong consumer demand for premium handsets, broad adoption of the Snapdragon platform, and a letter of intent with the Volkswagen Group, spanning Audi and Porsche, for long-term supply of infotainment and connectivity tech.
Amon offered more detail during the earnings call.
Qualcomm also completed its acquisition of Alphawave Semi, a connectivity technology firm, further strengthening its data center ambitions.
Amon said Qualcomm expects data center revenue to become a multibillion-dollar business within a couple of years.
All of that activity feeds a business that has now raised its dividend for 21 consecutive years, reported Koyfin.
A near-term headwind may impact Qualcomm’s margins
Qualcomm isn’t without near-term pressure, given that it flagged a tightening memory supply as a real headwind for the handset market in the coming quarters.
Here’s the issue, in plain terms.
- AI data centers are consuming massive amounts of high-bandwidth memory (HBM).
- That’s pulling chip supply away from consumer electronics, including smartphones.
- As a result, some handset manufacturers, particularly in China, are scaling back chipset orders.
- Qualcomm guided fiscal second-quarter handset revenue to approximately $6 billion, down from $7.8 billion in Q1. That’s a meaningful step down.
But Amon was clear on the earnings call: Consumer demand remains strong. The issue is supply, not appetite.
Related: Cisco stock resets dividend payout as AI moat widens
Premium and high-tier phones are proving more resilient, and Qualcomm expects to return to its prior growth trajectory once memory supply normalizes.
In the meantime, the automotive and industrial businesses are accelerating. Automotive is expected to grow more than 35% YoY in the second fiscal quarter. That diversification is exactly what management has been building toward.
The dividend has survived tougher cycles than this one.
What is the QCOM stock price target?
Over the past 10 years, Qualcomm stockhas returned 270% to shareholders, after adjusting for dividend reinvestments.
Out of the 22 analysts covering QCOM stock, nine recommend buy, 12 recommend hold, and one recommends sell. The average QCOM stock price target is $163, indicating a 14% upside from current levels.
For income investors watching the chip space, Qualcomm’s late-February deadline is worth circling.
The record is set, the payment is declared, and the company’s fundamentals (record revenues, growing automotive revenue, and a 21-year dividend streak) offer a business that tends to pay and grow its dividend, regardless of the broader chip cycle.
The clock, as they say, is ticking.
Related: Bank of America resets Qualcomm stock price target after earnings
