March 20, 2026 — Qualcomm’s board authorized a brand new $20 billion inventory repurchase authorization and raised its quarterly money dividend to $0.92 per share from $0.89, in accordance with the corporate’s official press launch. The dividend enhance takes impact for funds made after March 26, 2026, bringing the annualized payout to $3.68 per share.
Buyback measurement and construction
The $20 billion authorization has no mounted expiration date and could also be carried out by way of open-market purchases, privately negotiated transactions, or accelerated share repurchase (ASR) preparations. Qualcomm additionally disclosed $2.1 billion remaining beneath its prior 2024 repurchase program, bringing whole approved capability to roughly $22.1 billion.
At Qualcomm’s market capitalization of roughly $140 billion across the announcement date, the brand new $20 billion program represents roughly 14% of the corporate’s fairness worth, a big dedication by massive cap requirements.
| Repurchase program | Dimension | Standing |
|---|---|---|
| New authorization (2026) | $20.0B | Permitted March 17, 2026 |
| Remaining prior program (2024) | $2.1B | Nonetheless out there |
| Whole capability | $22.1B |
This system has no set timeline. The per-share profit is dependent upon when Qualcomm buys, at what worth, and free money circulate tendencies over the execution interval.
Dividend enhance
Qualcomm raised its quarterly dividend to $0.92 per share, up from $0.89, efficient for dividends payable after March 26, 2026. The annualized payout rises to $3.68 per share.
Dividend metric | Worth |
|---|---|
| New quarterly dividend | $0.92/share |
| Prior quarterly dividend | $0.89/share |
| Annualized (new) | $3.68/share |
| Efficient date | Dividends payable after March 26, 2026 |
Monetary capability
Qualcomm’s Q1 FY2026 stability sheet (interval ending December 28, 2025) reveals the corporate held $7.2 billion in money and money equivalents and $4.6 billion in short-term investments, for whole liquidity of roughly $11.8 billion. Whole debt stood at $14.8 billion, leading to a internet debt place of roughly $3.0 billion.
Stability sheet metric (Dec 28, 2025) | Worth |
|---|---|
| Money and money equivalents | $7.2B |
| Quick-term investments | $4.6B |
| Whole money & short-term investments | $11.8B |
| Whole debt | $14.8B |
| Web debt | ~$3.0B |
Historic context
The 2026 authorization follows a 2024 program that had $2.1 billion remaining at announcement. Qualcomm has constantly returned capital by way of each buybacks and dividends, although the $20 billion measurement represents one in every of its largest single authorizations.
Program | Yr | Dimension |
|---|---|---|
| Present authorization | 2026 | $20.0B |
| Prior authorization | 2024 | $10.0B (approx.) |
What it means for buyers
The central query is execution tempo. An authorization isn’t a dedication to purchase at any particular fee, Qualcomm will time purchases primarily based on worth, money circulate, and capital wants. With $22.1 billion in whole repurchase capability towards a ~$140 billion market cap, even partial execution would offer significant EPS help.
Traders ought to monitor:
– Tempo of buybacks in upcoming quarterly earnings stories.
– Free money circulate tendencies, whether or not money era helps simultaneous buybacks, dividends, and R&D funding.
– ASR utilization – accelerated share repurchases can retire shares quicker if administration views the inventory as undervalued.
