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.
QCOM vs TER: how the two businesses compare
- Bigger business: QCOM, with $44.3B of yearly revenue, about 14× TER's $3.2B.
- More profitable: TER keeps 17 cents of each sales dollar as profit, against 13 cents at QCOM.
- More cash from each sale: QCOM turns 32 cents of each sales dollar into operating cash flow, against 21 cents at TER.
From each company's latest annual SEC filing. Fiscal years can end on different dates.
QUALCOMM (QCOM) is the larger business by reported revenue: $44.3B in its fiscal year ended Sep 2025, about 14× TER's $3.2B (fiscal year ended Dec 2025). QCOM's net margin was 12.5% and TER's 17.4%. The SEC classifies them differently (Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment; Instruments For Meas & Testing of Electricity & Elec Signals); what connects them is shared exposure to the Artificial intelligence and Tariffs & trade research themes, 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.
- Information Technology
- Different
- Separate classifications
- Different
- QCOM September 27 · TER December 31
- Nov 4, 2026
QCOM vs TER: quick comparison
| Company fact | QCOM | TER |
|---|---|---|
| Company | QUALCOMM Incorporated | Teradyne, Inc. |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NASDAQ |
| Headquarters | San Diego, California | — |
| Founded | 1985 | — |
| SEC industry | Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment | Instruments For Meas & Testing of Electricity & Elec Signals |
| Fiscal year-end | September 27 | December 31 |
| Latest annual filing | 10-K · 2026-11-04 | 10-K · 2026-02-19 |
QCOM vs TER: audited financials
- Scale: QCOM's $44.3B of revenue is about 14× TER's $3.2B.
- Net margin: TER kept 17.4% of revenue as net income versus 12.5% at QCOM.
- Cash conversion: operating cash flow equalled QCOM 31.6% of revenue, or 2.53× net income; TER 21.1% of revenue, or 1.22× 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 (2025-09-28 for QCOM, 2025-12-31 for TER), so each figure reflects somewhat different demand and cost conditions.
| Metric | QCOM | TER |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $44.3B2024-09-30 to 2025-09-28 · SEC filing | $3.2B2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing |
| Net income | $5.5B2024-09-30 to 2025-09-28 · SEC filing | $554M2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing |
| Operating cash flow | $14.0B2024-09-30 to 2025-09-28 · SEC filing | $674M2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing |
| Diluted EPS | $5.012024-09-30 to 2025-09-28 · SEC filing | $3.472025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing |
| Net margin | 12.5%2024-09-30 to 2025-09-28 · SEC filing | 17.4%2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing |
QCOM: FY ending 2025-09-28 · TER: FY ending 2025-12-31. Figures as tagged in each issuer's SEC XBRL filing; fiscal calendars may not align.
Where QCOM and TER overlap, and where they don't
Overlap
- Shared research themes: Artificial intelligence and Tariffs & trade.
Differences
- Different SEC industries: QCOM files as Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment; TER as Instruments For Meas & Testing of Electricity & Elec Signals.
- Offset fiscal calendars: QCOM's year ends September 27 and TER's December 31, about 3 months apart.
- Scale: QCOM reported about 14× the annual revenue of TER.
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.
Teradyne, Inc. (TER)
Teradyne makes automated test equipment for semiconductors and electronics along with industrial and collaborative robots.
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 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.
What moves TER
We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for TER. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2026-02-19.
The investment question
You now know QCOM reports about 14× TER's revenue, and TER 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, and which evidence in the next filings would prove that assumption wrong.
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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. QCOM's fiscal year ends September 27, while TER's ends December 31. Normalize the reporting periods before comparing growth, margins, capital intensity, or guidance.
The current verified House and Senate snapshot contains 23 matched transaction rows for QCOM and 9 matched transaction rows for TER. These delayed, range-based disclosures can identify a filing to inspect; they do not establish motive, conviction, or a real-time trading signal.
QCOM primary filings
TER 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.
QCOM vs TER FAQs
Are QCOM and TER direct competitors?
Not necessarily. QUALCOMM files as Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment and Teradyne as Instruments For Meas & Testing of Electricity & Elec Signals. 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 QCOM or TER the bigger company by revenue?
QUALCOMM (QCOM) is the larger business by reported revenue: $44.3B in its fiscal year ended Sep 2025, about 14× TER's $3.2B (fiscal year ended Dec 2025). QCOM's net margin was 12.5% and TER's 17.4%. The SEC classifies them differently (Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment; Instruments For Meas & Testing of Electricity & Elec Signals); what connects them is shared exposure to the Artificial intelligence and Tariffs & trade research themes, 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, QCOM or TER?
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 QCOM vs TER 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 QUALCOMM Incorporated and Teradyne, Inc. 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?
QCOM vs TER 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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