Intel Corporation (INTC)
Intel is a historic leader in microprocessors that is investing heavily to rebuild its manufacturing edge and build a foundry business for outside customers. Its US fabs make it a focal point of domestic chip policy.
INTC vs QCOM: how the two businesses compare
- Bigger business: INTC, with $52.9B of yearly revenue, about 1.2× QCOM's $44.3B.
- More profitable: QCOM keeps 13 cents of each sales dollar as profit; INTC lost money over the year.
- More cash from each sale: QCOM turns 32 cents of each sales dollar into operating cash flow, against 18 cents at INTC.
From each company's latest annual SEC filing. Fiscal years can end on different dates.
Intel (INTC) is the larger business by reported revenue: $52.9B in its fiscal year ended Dec 2025, about 1.2× QCOM's $44.3B (fiscal year ended Sep 2025). INTC's net margin was -0.5% and QCOM's 12.5%. The SEC places them in related industries (Semiconductors & Related Devices; Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment), and both map to the Artificial intelligence and Tariffs & trade research themes.
Figures come from each company's own SEC filings. This page compares the businesses; it is not a price target or a verdict.
- Information Technology
- Different
- Separate classifications
- Different
- INTC December 27 · QCOM September 27
- Jan 23, 2026
INTC vs QCOM: quick comparison
| Company fact | INTC | QCOM |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Intel Corporation | QUALCOMM Incorporated |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NASDAQ |
| Headquarters | Santa Clara, California | San Diego, California |
| Founded | 1968 | 1985 |
| SEC industry | Semiconductors & Related Devices | Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment |
| Fiscal year-end | December 27 | September 27 |
| Latest annual filing | 10-K · 2026-01-23 | 10-K · 2025-11-05 |
INTC vs QCOM: audited financials
- Scale: INTC's $52.9B of revenue is about 1.2× QCOM's $44.3B.
- Net margin: QCOM kept 12.5% of revenue as net income versus -0.5% at INTC.
- Cash conversion: operating cash flow equalled INTC 18.3% of revenue; 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 3 months apart (2025-12-27 for INTC, 2025-09-28 for QCOM), so each figure reflects somewhat different demand and cost conditions.
| Metric | INTC | QCOM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $52.9B2024-12-29 to 2025-12-27 · SEC filing | $44.3B2024-09-30 to 2025-09-28 · SEC filing |
| Net income | −$267M2024-12-29 to 2025-12-27 · SEC filing | $5.5B2024-09-30 to 2025-09-28 · SEC filing |
| Operating cash flow | $9.7B2024-12-29 to 2025-12-27 · SEC filing | $14.0B2024-09-30 to 2025-09-28 · SEC filing |
| Diluted EPS | −$0.062024-12-29 to 2025-12-27 · SEC filing | $5.012024-09-30 to 2025-09-28 · SEC filing |
| Net margin | -0.5%2024-12-29 to 2025-12-27 · SEC filing | 12.5%2024-09-30 to 2025-09-28 · SEC filing |
INTC: FY ending 2025-12-27 · QCOM: FY ending 2025-09-28. Figures as tagged in each issuer's SEC XBRL filing; fiscal calendars may not align.
Where INTC and QCOM overlap, and where they don't
Overlap
- Related SEC industries: both sit in SIC major group 36.
- Shared research themes: Artificial intelligence and Tariffs & trade.
Differences
- Different four-digit SIC codes: INTC is 3674 (Semiconductors & Related Devices); QCOM is 3663 (Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment).
- Offset fiscal calendars: INTC's year ends December 27 and QCOM's September 27, about 3 months apart.
- Profitability: net margin of -0.5% for INTC versus 12.5% for QCOM.
- INTC reported a net loss of $267M in its fiscal year ended Dec 2025.
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.
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 INTC
- Intel 18A yield and volume ramp for client and server CPUs
- External foundry customer wins needed to justify Intel 14A
- Client and data-center CPU volume, pricing, and share versus AMD and Arm-based rivals
- Capital spending, fab construction pace, and government and strategic equity funding
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 2025-11-05.
The investment question
You now know INTC reports about 1.2× QCOM's revenue, and QCOM keeps more of each dollar as net income. Those are the facts. The investment question is what each share price already assumes about their exposure to artificial intelligence and tariffs & trade, including “Intel 18A yield and volume ramp for client and server CPUs” at INTC, and which evidence in the next filings would prove that assumption wrong.
Members-only research
Members-only research on INTC and QCOM
- Intel’s manufacturing option needs a cash-flow bridge
What Intel’s recovery evidence showed on January 23, 2026.
- NVIDIA’s growth has a financing bill
Sales up about 18% on the prior quarter, receivables up about 55%, supply commitments at $279 billion. What NVIDIA’s financing bill means for the price you pay.
The thesis, the numbers behind it, and what would break it. Full access is $39 a month.
Read the full researchSEC filing comparison and disclosure evidence
Start with primary filings because fiscal calendars and accounting presentation can make superficially similar quarters incomparable. INTC's fiscal year ends December 27, 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 45 matched transaction rows for INTC 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.
INTC primary filings
QCOM primary filings
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.
INTC vs QCOM FAQs
Are INTC and QCOM direct competitors?
Not necessarily. Intel files as Semiconductors & Related Devices and QUALCOMM as Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment. The pair is compared because both map to the Artificial intelligence and Tariffs & trade research themes, not because the filings show head-to-head competition.
Is INTC or QCOM the bigger company by revenue?
Intel (INTC) is the larger business by reported revenue: $52.9B in its fiscal year ended Dec 2025, about 1.2× QCOM's $44.3B (fiscal year ended Sep 2025). INTC's net margin was -0.5% and QCOM's 12.5%. The SEC places them in related industries (Semiconductors & Related Devices; Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment), and both map to the Artificial intelligence and Tariffs & trade research themes. 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, INTC 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 INTC 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 Intel Corporation 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 2026-10-10. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.
Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-10-10. Independent educational research; not investment advice.
Which business differences matter to the investment thesis?
INTC 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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