Qualcomm Rose 6% Today as AI Data Center Hopes Build. Here’s Where the Stock Could Head in 2026

Qualcomm's 6% single-session pop was driven by renewed AI data center speculation, building on the company's push to leverage its Oryon CPU cores and on-device AI inference capabilities into server and edge infrastructure markets. FY2025 revenue came in at $44.3B, up 13.7% YoY, though net margins remain relatively thin at 12.5% with diluted EPS of $5.01 — leaving the stock's valuation heavily dependent on whether the data center narrative materializes into real design wins.

The core tension is whether QCOM can genuinely diversify its revenue mix beyond handset modems — a story the market has heard before — or whether this pop fades as investors wait for concrete hyperscaler partnerships or volume orders. The next earnings print and any Snapdragon Summit announcements are the key catalysts to watch; a lack of hard design-win news would likely invite profit-taking after a move of this magnitude.