CRM vs QCOM: how the two businesses compare

  • Similar size: QCOM and CRM each brought in about $44.3B of yearly revenue.
  • More profitable: CRM keeps 18 cents of each sales dollar as profit, against 13 cents at QCOM.
  • More cash from each sale: CRM turns 36 cents of each sales dollar into operating cash flow, against 32 cents at QCOM.

From each company's latest annual SEC filing. Fiscal years can end on different dates.

QUALCOMM (QCOM) and Salesforce (CRM) reported similar revenue: $44.3B (fiscal year ended Sep 2025) versus $41.5B (fiscal year ended Jan 2026). CRM's net margin was 18.0% and QCOM's 12.5%. The SEC classifies them differently (Services-Prepackaged Software; Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment); what connects them is shared exposure to the Artificial intelligence research theme, not a common industry.

Figures come from each company's own SEC filings. This page compares the businesses; it is not a price target or a verdict.

Sector
Information Technology
SEC industry
Different
Separate classifications
Fiscal year ends
Different
CRM January 31 · QCOM September 27
Reviewed
Nov 4, 2026

CRM vs QCOM: quick comparison

Company factCRMQCOM
CompanySalesforce, Inc.QUALCOMM Incorporated
ExchangeNYSENASDAQ
HeadquartersSan Francisco, CaliforniaSan Diego, California
Founded19991985
SEC industryServices-Prepackaged SoftwareRadio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment
Fiscal year-endJanuary 31September 27
Latest annual filing10-K · 2026-03-0210-K · 2026-11-04

CRM vs QCOM: audited financials

  • Scale: revenue is roughly in line ($44.3B for QCOM versus $41.5B for CRM).
  • Net margin: CRM kept 18.0% of revenue as net income versus 12.5% at QCOM.
  • Cash conversion: operating cash flow equalled CRM 36.1% of revenue, or 2.01× net income; QCOM 31.6% of revenue, or 2.53× net income. A ratio well above 1× usually reflects non-cash charges or working-capital release; well below 1× can reflect working-capital build or non-cash gains.
  • Periods: the fiscal years end about 4 months apart (2026-01-31 for CRM, 2025-09-28 for QCOM), so each figure reflects somewhat different demand and cost conditions.

CRM: FY ending 2026-01-31 · QCOM: FY ending 2025-09-28. Figures as tagged in each issuer's SEC XBRL filing; fiscal calendars may not align.

Where CRM and QCOM overlap, and where they don't

Overlap

  • Shared research theme: Artificial intelligence.

Differences

  • Different SEC industries: CRM files as Services-Prepackaged Software; QCOM as Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment.
  • Offset fiscal calendars: CRM's year ends January 31 and QCOM's September 27, about 4 months apart.
  • Only QCOM maps to Tariffs & trade.
  • Profitability: net margin of 18.0% for CRM versus 12.5% for QCOM.

Overlap is drawn from SEC classifications and Yield Theory research themes. It is not evidence that the companies sell to the same customers or compete product for product.

Salesforce, Inc. (CRM)

Salesforce pioneered cloud-based customer relationship management and now offers a broad suite of sales, service, marketing, and analytics tools. It is layering AI agents across that suite to automate customer-facing work.

QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM)

Qualcomm designs the mobile chipsets and wireless-modem technology that power much of the smartphone industry, and it licenses a deep patent portfolio. It is broadening into automotive, PCs, and on-device AI.

What moves each company

Company-specific drivers maintained by Yield Theory. Use them to decide which filing deserves deeper work; they are not predictions.

What moves CRM

We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for CRM. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2026-03-02.

What moves QCOM

We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for QCOM. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2026-11-04.

The investment question

You now know how CRM and QCOM are classified, when their fiscal years end, and where their exposures overlap. Those are the facts. The investment question is what each share price already assumes about their exposure to artificial intelligence, and which evidence in the next filings would prove that assumption wrong.

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SEC filing comparison and disclosure evidence

Start with primary filings because fiscal calendars and accounting presentation can make superficially similar quarters incomparable. CRM's fiscal year ends January 31, while QCOM's ends September 27. Normalize the reporting periods before comparing growth, margins, capital intensity, or guidance.

The current verified House and Senate snapshot contains 49 matched transaction rows for CRM and 23 matched transaction rows for QCOM. These delayed, range-based disclosures can identify a filing to inspect; they do not establish motive, conviction, or a real-time trading signal.

What this comparison cannot tell you

This page does not contain licensed live prices, a valuation model, earnings estimates, portfolio constraints, or a forecast of future returns. SEC classifications can be broad, company descriptions can lag strategic change, and the latest annual filing may predate a material acquisition or divestiture. Read subsequent quarterly and current reports before making a decision.

A stronger business is not automatically the better stock. Starting valuation, expectations, capital structure, cyclicality, dilution, and the probability of each thesis determine the investment outcome. Use this comparison to frame the work, then verify the numbers in the linked filings and current company disclosures.

CRM vs QCOM FAQs

Are CRM and QCOM direct competitors?

Not necessarily. Salesforce files as Services-Prepackaged Software and QUALCOMM as Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment. The pair is compared because both map to the Artificial intelligence research theme, not because the filings show head-to-head competition.

Is CRM or QCOM the bigger company by revenue?

QUALCOMM (QCOM) and Salesforce (CRM) reported similar revenue: $44.3B (fiscal year ended Sep 2025) versus $41.5B (fiscal year ended Jan 2026). CRM's net margin was 18.0% and QCOM's 12.5%. The SEC classifies them differently (Services-Prepackaged Software; Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment); what connects them is shared exposure to the Artificial intelligence research theme, not a common industry. Each figure is the annual amount tagged in the company's own SEC XBRL filing; market value depends on live prices, which this page does not publish.

Which is better, CRM or QCOM?

There is no context-free winner. Compare the operating exposures, filing evidence, valuation, balance sheet, and risks against the specific thesis you are testing. This page deliberately does not turn a static profile into a buy or sell recommendation.

Does this CRM vs QCOM comparison include live prices?

No. Yield Theory does not republish unlicensed real-time market data. The financial figures on this page are the audited annual numbers Salesforce, Inc. and QUALCOMM Incorporated tagged in their SEC XBRL filings. Use a regulated broker or licensed quote provider for current prices and valuation multiples.

Where does the company information come from?

Company classifications, fiscal year-ends, and filing links come from the SEC EDGAR submissions API snapshot refreshed 2026-11-09. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.

Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-11-09. Independent educational research; not investment advice.

Which business differences matter to the investment thesis?

CRM vs QCOM compares reported results. The reports below show how we connect operating evidence to an investment thesis, its assumptions, catalysts, and risks. $39/month or $249/year.

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