We recently published a list of 15 Best NASDAQ Dividend Stocks To Buy. In this article, we are going to take a look at where QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) stands against other best NASDAQ dividend stocks to buy.
The NASDAQ, heavily comprised of technology stocks, has been on a consistent upward trajectory for some years. In 2023, it experienced remarkable growth, marking its best performance since 2020 with an increase of over 43%. In 2024, the index continued to surpass market expectations with a 28.64% gain. This impressive performance is largely driven by the excitement surrounding artificial intelligence, which has significantly boosted major tech stocks and the broader market throughout 2023 and into this year. Analysts suggest that the NASDAQ could be the index of the future, as its companies have shown a strong ability to adapt to evolving market trends.
NASDAQ’s consistent outperformance can be observed over several years. According to a report by Invesco, since January 1, 2008, the Nasdaq-100 Index has delivered a cumulative total return of 750%, significantly outpacing the broader market’s 315% return. This success is largely attributed to the innovation driven by tech companies, which continues to attract investors. For instance, the technology sector in the broader market has achieved an annualized total return of 20.65% over the past decade, compared to 12.80% for the market. This leadership is understandable given the rapid adoption of technology in recent years. The Industry Classification Benchmark (ICB) noted that the Nasdaq-100 has approximately 55% exposure to the tech sector, in contrast to about 32% for the broader market.
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Tech companies are not only driving innovation but are also swiftly adjusting their dividend strategies. In 2024, many prominent tech firms began issuing dividends, significantly boosting the overall dividend pool. Although dividends are traditionally linked with value stocks rather than the high-growth companies fueling the AI surge, analysts suggest this shift broadens the appeal of these stocks to new investor groups while putting surplus cash to use. Typically, growth-focused companies prioritize reinvestment over returning earnings to shareholders. However, experts like Ted Mortonson from Baird argue that these dividend payments won’t undermine the companies’ future dominance. Here are some other comments from the analyst:
“I don’t view it as a problem. I view it as they’ve won. They’ve won the technology side. They’ve won on the business-model side, and they’re going to win on the Gen AI cycle.”
Overall dividends are becoming increasingly popular among investors, with many US companies either raising or maintaining their payouts. Howard Silverblatt, a Senior Index Analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices, suggested that with an anticipated reduction in interest rates by the FOMC in 2025, coupled with record earnings forecasted for the fourth quarter of 2024 and the entire year of 2025, companies might allocate more funds towards substantial dividend hikes in the upcoming year. He further mentioned that February, traditionally the peak month for dividend increases, is expected to see even more significant growth as some firms may look to compensate for previous conservative strategies. In 2024, the large-cap companies in the broader market outperformed many others, achieving record levels in earnings, sales, and dividends. For 2025, a projected 8% rise in dividend payments is expected, up from a 6.4% increase in 2024.
Our Methodology
For this list, we scanned Insider Monkey’s database of 900 hedge funds as of the third quarter of 2024 and selected companies that are trading on the NASDAQ exchange and also pay dividends to shareholders. From that list, we picked 15 stocks with the highest number of hedge fund investors and ranked in ascending order of hedge funds’ sentiment toward them.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).
A technician testing the latest 5G device, demonstrating the company’s commitment to innovation.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 74
QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) is a California-based semiconductor company that offers a wide range of wireless technology services. The company has established a solid presence in the smartphone chip industry and is well-positioned to capitalize on the rapidly expanding generative AI smartphone market. According to IDC, this market is projected to grow at an annual rate of 78% through 2028, with yearly shipments reaching 912 million units by the end of the period. Additionally, Counterpoint Research ranks the company as the second-largest player in the smartphone application processor market, holding a 31% market share. It is one of the best dividend stocks on our list as the stock delivered a nearly 17% return to shareholders in the past 12 months.
In fiscal Q4 2024, QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) reported impressive earnings, with revenues reaching $10.24 billion, marking an 18% increase compared to the same quarter the previous year. Net income surged 33% year-over-year to $3.5 billion. Additionally, the company achieved annual earnings per share growth of over 30% for fiscal 2024.
Madison Investments highlighted QCOM in its Q3 2024 investor letter. Here is what the firm has to say:
“Alphabet Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM), Microsoft Corporation, and Apple Inc. were the largest detractors. Qualcomm has given back some of its first half gains after the CFO commented at a conference that its entrance into the AI PC business would take time to ramp. We continue to see Qualcomm as well positioned with growth from AI moving into the mobile phone, from new opportunities in the Internet of Things (IoT), and within the Auto industry but will also look to future growth as they enter the PC market.”
QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) is a solid dividend payer because of its stable cash position. At the end of the quarter, the company had approximately $8 billion available in cash and cash equivalents. Its operating cash flow came in at $12.2 billion, up from $11.3 billion in the same period last year. During the quarter, it returned $2.2 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. Due to this cash position, the company was able to grow its payouts for 20 consecutive years. Currently, it offers a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share for a dividend yield of 2.06%, as of January 15.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) was a part of 74 hedge fund portfolios at the end of Q3 2024, as per Insider Monkey’s database. The stakes owned by these funds are worth $3.23 billion in total.
Overall, QCOM ranks 7th on our list of best NASDAQ dividend stocks to buy. While we acknowledge the potential for QCOM to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than QCOM but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.