Insider Trading March 14, 2026

Qualcomm EVP Akash Palkhiwala Sells $330,815 in Company Shares

Transaction executed under a 10b5-1 plan as analyst views on the chipmaker remain mixed

By Marcus Reed QCOM
Qualcomm EVP Akash Palkhiwala Sells $330,815 in Company Shares
QCOM

Qualcomm Executive Vice President, CFO and COO Akash J. Palkhiwala disposed of 2,530 shares of Qualcomm common stock on March 12, 2026, netting $330,815. The trades were completed through a pre-established Rule 10b5-1 plan adopted in December 2025. The stock is trading below recent analyst price targets and below InvestingPro's assessed fair value.

Key Points

  • Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 2,530 Qualcomm shares on March 12, 2026, for a total of $330,815; sale prices ranged from $131.0326 to $134.702.
  • Transactions were made under a Rule 10b5-1 plan adopted on December 8, 2025; Palkhiwala now directly owns 33,099 shares.
  • Analysts are split on Qualcomm’s outlook - ratings and price targets range from Overweight at $200 to Underperform at $145, with concerns tied to memory shortages and competitive pressures in key customer relationships.

Insider sale details

Akash J. Palkhiwala, who serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM), sold 2,530 shares of the company’s common stock on March 12, 2026, receiving a total of $330,815 from the transactions. Reported prices for the shares ranged from $131.0326 to $134.702.

Context and holdings

The dispositions were made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan that Palkhiwala adopted on December 8, 2025. After the reported sales, his direct holding in Qualcomm stands at 33,099 shares. The company’s shares are trading at $129.82, representing a 23.6% decline year-to-date; InvestingPro analysis within the same report indicates the shares appear undervalued at current market levels.

Analyst coverage and differing viewpoints

Recent analyst activity cited in the company’s coverage shows a range of opinions on Qualcomm’s prospects. Piper Sandler maintained an Overweight rating and left its price target at $200 following Qualcomm’s latest quarterly report. The company outperformed expectations in the December 2026 quarter, but management’s guidance for the March period was hampered by memory shortages that affected Chinese original equipment manufacturers’ supply forecasts.

Loop Capital moved Qualcomm to Buy from Hold and set a $185 price target, referencing the firm’s diversification prospects and noting that Qualcomm has lagged the broader chip sector. Wells Fargo upgraded Qualcomm to Equal Weight from Underweight and raised its price target to $150, pointing to the company’s data center strategy as a potential catalyst for investor interest.

By contrast, BofA Securities began coverage with an Underperform rating and a $145 price target, citing expectations that Qualcomm’s sales and earnings growth will trail the semiconductor sector and forecasting a potential loss of business from Apple. Adding to the mix, Wolfe Research identified Qualcomm as one of the companies with the highest activist attractiveness scores, which signals a degree of vulnerability to shareholder activism.

Investor resources

For investors seeking deeper valuation analysis and a fuller research note, a Pro Research Report on InvestingPro is available that examines Qualcomm’s valuation in greater detail.


Bottom line

The March 12 insider sale by Qualcomm’s senior finance and operations executive was conducted through an established 10b5-1 plan and reduced his direct stake to 33,099 shares. The company’s recent quarter outperformed expectations, yet near-term guidance was affected by supply issues, and analysts remain divided on the stock’s outlook.

Risks

  • Near-term guidance was weakened by memory shortages that affected Chinese OEM supply forecasts, creating demand and supply uncertainty in the semiconductor supply chain - this impacts semiconductor and hardware OEM sectors.
  • Analyst disagreement and an Underperform initiation citing projected slower sales and earnings growth, along with the possibility of lost Apple business, introduce revenue and earnings risk to the company and to investors in chip suppliers.
  • High activist attractiveness scores noted by Wolfe Research suggest increased potential for shareholder engagement, which may lead to strategic or governance changes and associated market volatility for Qualcomm and related technology sector stocks.

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