Buyback yield (TTM)
7.93%
Shareholder yield (TTM)
10.75%
5Y share count change
-3.8%
Buyback spend (TTM)
$10.73B
Cumulative buybacks
$85.41B
Key takeaways
- QUALCOMM (QCOM) repurchased about $10.73B of stock over the trailing twelve months.
- Diluted share count is down 3.8% over the last ~5 fiscal years — buybacks are net-shrinking the share base.
- TTM buyback ÷ stock-based-comp ratio of 3.50× — repurchases more than cover SBC dilution.
- Cash buyback spend has compounded at +29.1% per year over the latest 5-year window.
- TTM repurchases used about 124% of free cash flow remaining after dividends.
Dividend & buyback yield over time for QUALCOMM (QCOM)
Stacked annual yields — buyback yield (TTM cash repurchases ÷ market cap) plus dividend yield from the same fiscal-year-end key-metrics period — show how total cash return per dollar of equity has evolved.
Diluted vs basic shares (annual) for QUALCOMM (QCOM)
Diluted weighted-average shares are the EPS denominator — a falling count means buybacks are outpacing SBC dilution.
Year-over-year change in diluted shares for QUALCOMM (QCOM)
Green is fewer shares vs the prior fiscal year (net repurchase); red is growth (dilution). The earliest year shown has no prior year to compare.
Cash buyback spend over time for QUALCOMM (QCOM)
Latest: $8.79B
Overview
The 2025 reading of QUALCOMM (QCOM) buyback spend is $8.79B – surged 113.3% year-over-year.
Through 2020–2025 (5 years), QUALCOMM buyback spend delivered a +29.1% annualised rate; sustaining 2 straight years of year-over-year growth.
Between 2018 and 2025, QUALCOMM buyback spend plunged 61.1%, falling from $22.58B to $8.79B.
2018 marks the peak buyback spend at $22.58B, with the historical low of $0.00 recorded in 1991.
QUALCOMM Buyback Spend 2025: $8.79B
QUALCOMM buyback spend in 2025 was $8.79B, surged 113.3% from 2024.
QUALCOMM Buyback Spend 2024: $4.12B
2024's buyback spend for QUALCOMM came in at $4.12B, surged 38.6% from 2023.
QUALCOMM Buyback Spend 2023: $2.97B
QUALCOMM posted buyback spend of $2.97B in 2023, edged down 5.0% below 2022.
QUALCOMM Buyback Spend 2022: $3.13B
In 2022, QUALCOMM reported buyback spend of $3.13B, declined 7.0% below 2021.
QUALCOMM Buyback Spend 2021: $3.37B
QUALCOMM buyback spend in 2021 was $3.37B.
See more financial history for QUALCOMM (QCOM).
Buyback, SBC & dilution history
Buyback spend, SBC, net dilution effect, and share count.
| 2025 | $8.79B | $2.78B | $6.01B | 4.85% | 1.10B | -2.2% | |
| 2024 | $4.12B | $2.65B | $1.47B | 2.17% | 1.13B | +0.4% | |
| 2023 | $2.97B | $2.48B | $489.00M | 2.40% | 1.13B | -1.0% | |
| 2022 | $3.13B | $2.03B | $1.10B | 2.47% | 1.14B | -1.0% | |
| 2021 | $3.37B | $1.66B | $1.70B | 2.31% | 1.15B | 0.0% | |
| 2020 | $2.45B | $1.21B | $1.24B | 1.84% | 1.15B | -5.8% | |
| 2019 | $1.79B | $1.04B | $756.00M | 1.96% | 1.22B | -16.6% | |
| 2018 | $22.58B | $883.00M | $21.70B | 21.98% | 1.46B | -1.8% | |
| 2017 | $1.34B | $914.00M | $428.00M | 1.75% | 1.49B | -0.5% | |
| 2016 | $3.92B | $943.00M | $2.98B | 3.88% | 1.50B | -8.6% | |
| 2015 | $11.25B | $1.03B | $10.22B | 13.44% | 1.64B | -4.4% | |
| 2014 | $4.55B | $1.06B | $3.49B | 3.63% | 1.71B | -2.3% | |
| 2013 | $4.61B | $1.10B | $3.50B | 4.03% | 1.75B | +0.7% | |
| 2012 | $1.31B | $1.03B | $278.00M | 1.24% | 1.74B | +3.0% | |
| 2011 | $142.00M | $824.00M | −$682.00M | 0.17% | 1.69B | +2.0% | |
| 2010 | $3.02B | $612.00M | $2.40B | 4.15% | 1.66B | -0.9% | |
| 2009 | $285.00M | $584.00M | −$299.00M | 0.38% | 1.67B | +0.8% | |
| 2008 | $1.67B | $541.00M | $1.13B | 2.36% | 1.66B | -1.9% | |
| 2007 | $1.48B | $0.00 | $1.48B | 2.12% | 1.69B | -1.1% | |
| 2006 | $1.50B | $495.00M | $1.00B | 2.50% | 1.71B | +1.0% | |
| 2005 | $953.00M | $0.00 | $953.00M | 1.30% | 1.69B | +1.1% | |
| 2004 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 1.68B | +3.3% | |
| 2003 | $166.00M | $0.00 | $166.00M | 0.50% | 1.62B | +0.2% | |
| 2002 | $6.00M | $0.00 | $6.00M | 0.03% | 1.62B | +7.1% | |
| 2001 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 1.51B | -5.5% | |
| 2000 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 1.60B | +23.1% | |
| 1999 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 1.30B | +9.8% | |
| 1998 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 1.18B | +1.8% | |
| 1997 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 1.16B | +10.7% | |
| 1996 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 1.05B | — | |
| 1995 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1994 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1993 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1991 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — |
- 2025$8.79B
- 2024$4.12B
- 2023$2.97B
- 2022$3.13B
- 2021$3.37B
- 2020$2.45B
- 2019$1.79B
- 2018$22.58B
- 2017$1.34B
- 2016$3.92B
- 2015$11.25B
- 2014$4.55B
- 2013$4.61B
- 2012$1.31B
- 2011$142.00M
- 2010$3.02B
- 2009$285.00M
- 2008$1.67B
- 2007$1.48B
- 2006$1.50B
- 2005$953.00M
- 2004$0.00
- 2003$166.00M
- 2002$6.00M
- 2001$0.00
- 2000$0.00
- 1999$0.00
- 1998$0.00
- 1997$0.00
- 1996$0.00
- 1995$0.00
- 1994$0.00
- 1993$0.00
- 1992$0.00
- 1991$0.00
Buybacks vs stock-based compensation for QUALCOMM (QCOM)
Annual cash repurchases set against stock-based compensation. Coverage above 1× means buybacks fully offset the equity dilution from SBC. TTM coverage: 3.50×.
Buybacks vs dividends (share of cash returned) for QUALCOMM (QCOM)
How QUALCOMM splits cash returned to shareholders between dividends and buybacks.
Sector peers by buyback spend
Companies in the same sector as QUALCOMM, ranked by their latest buyback spend.
| $90.71B | |
| $40.09B | |
| $18.42B | |
| $6.65B | |
| $6.31B | |
| $1.32B | |
| $0.00 | |
| $0.00 |
- $90.71B
- $40.09B
- $18.42B
- $6.65B
- $6.31B
- $1.32B
- $0.00
Buyback capacity (TTM)
Free cash flow minus dividends paid versus actual TTM repurchases — the headroom bar shows how much of post-dividend FCF is still being deployed elsewhere.
Headroom $8.68B (TTM FCF − TTM dividends, clamped at zero).
Frequently asked questions
Data & methodology
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