QUALCOMM, Inc. vs United Microelectronics Corp — how do they compare? QUALCOMM, Inc. trades at $176.73 (market cap $182.87B), while United Microelectronics Corp trades at $21.25 (market cap $52.23B). The key difference: QUALCOMM, Inc. is far larger — about 3.5× United Microelectronics Corp's market cap, and QUALCOMM, Inc. pays the higher dividend (2.12%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| QCOM | UMC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $182.87B | $52.23B |
Sector | Technology | Technology |
52-Week High | $251.10 | $28.02 |
52-Week Low | $124.07 | $6.58 |
Enterprise Value | $188.34B | $49.83B |
Dividend Yield | 2.12% | 1.95% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Qualcomm (QCOM) trades at $170.32, down 0.85% with bearish technical signals despite recent earnings beats. The stock shows strong fundamentals with 22.31% net margins and 29.27% ROE, though facing margin pressures and smartphone market headwinds. Recent news highlights AI diversification efforts through automotive and data center markets, with CEO Cristiano Amon projecting 'multiple billions' in data center revenue ahead.
Outlook remains mixed with 42.65% analyst buy ratings and $228.22 consensus target suggesting 34% upside, but technical weakness and competitive threats from Nvidia's PC chip entry create near-term uncertainty. Key risks include smartphone demand softness and margin compression, while AI expansion provides long-term growth potential.
UMC trades at $21.19, down 0.28% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from oscillators but bearish moving averages. The company reported Q1 2026 EPS of $0.20, beating expectations, and maintains a net income margin of 20.25%. Recent news highlights mass production of silicon photonics ICs and strong June 2026 sales growth of 22.85% year-over-year.
Outlook is supported by earnings beats and specialty technology demand, but risks include valuation above sector peers and competitive pressures. Analysts are mixed with 26.67% buy ratings, suggesting cautious optimism amid solid execution.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Qualcomm develops and licenses wireless technology and designs chips for smartphones. The company's key patents revolve around CDMA and OFDMA technologies, which are standards in wireless communications that are the backbone of all 3G and 4G networks. The firm is a leader in 5G network technology as well. Qualcomm's IP is licensed by virtually all wireless device makers. The firm is also the world's largest wireless chip vendor, supplying nearly every premier handset maker with leading-edge processors. Qualcomm also sells RF-front end modules into smartphones and chips into automotive and Internet of Things markets.
Read more on QCOM →Founded in 1980, United Microelectronics is the world's third-largest dedicated chip foundry, with 7% market share in 2021, according to Gartner, after TSMC and GlobalFoundries. UMC's headquarters are in Hsinchu, Taiwan, and it operates 12 fabs in Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan and Singapore, with additional sales offices in Europe, the U.S. and South Korea. UMC features a diverse customer base including Texas Instruments, MediaTek, Qualcomm, Broadcom, Xilinx and Realtek, supplying a wide range of products applied in communications, display, memory, automotive and more. UMC employs about 20,000 people.
Read more on UMC →