Qualcomm Inc. Stock Buy Recommendation Reiterated (QCOM)

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Qualcomm (Nasdaq:QCOM) has been reiterated by TheStreet Ratings as a buy with a ratings score of B. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its robust revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, growth in earnings per share, compelling growth in net income and expanding profit margins. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had lackluster performance in the stock itself.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• The revenue growth came in higher than the industry average of 22.9%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues rose by 42.6%. This growth in revenue appears to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, improving the earnings per share.
• QCOM's debt-to-equity ratio is very low at 0.04 and is currently below that of the industry average, implying that there has been very successful management of debt levels. Along with this, the company maintains a quick ratio of 3.14, which clearly demonstrates the ability to cover short-term cash needs.
• QUALCOMM INC has improved earnings per share by 12.0% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. The company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past two years. We feel that this trend should continue. During the past fiscal year, QUALCOMM INC increased its bottom line by earning $2.71 versus $2.13 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($3.72 versus $2.71).
• The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has significantly exceeded that of the S&P 500 and the Communications Equipment industry. The net income increased by 123.2% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, rising from $999.00 million to $2,230.00 million.
• The gross profit margin for QUALCOMM INC is rather high; currently it is at 68.20%. Despite the high profit margin, it has decreased significantly from the same period last year. Despite the mixed results of the gross profit margin, QCOM's net profit margin of 45.10% significantly outperformed against the industry.

QUALCOMM Incorporated designs, develops, manufactures, and markets digital telecommunications products and services. The company has a P/E ratio of 19.4, above the average telecommunications industry P/E ratio of 16.6and above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Qualcomm has a market cap of $94.58 billion and is part of the technology sector and telecommunications industry. Shares are up 0.9% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday.

You can view the full Qualcomm Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

--Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff.

TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

For more information on Qualcomm Inc. click any of the following:

• Qualcomm Inc. Stock Price

• Qualcomm Inc. Analyst Ratings

• Qualcomm Inc. Key Stats & Profile

• Qualcomm Inc. Earnings

• Qualcomm Inc. Ratio Comparison

• Qualcomm Inc. Growth Rates

• Qualcomm Inc. Balance Sheet

• Qualcomm Inc. Cash Flow

• Qualcomm Inc. Income Statement