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Luke Kawa

Qualcomm becomes latest chip company to dip despite posting impressive quarterly results

Qualcomm reported a beat on the top and bottom lines in its fiscal fourth quarter, along with a bright outlook for the start of its next fiscal year.

Here are the Q4 results:

  • Revenues: $11.27 billion (compared to Wall Street’s estimate of $10.77 billion and guidance for about $10.7 billion)

  • Adjusted earnings per share: $3 (estimate: $2.88, guidance: ~$2.85)

Its guidance for the current quarter (fiscal Q1 2026) was stellar:

  • Revenues: $12.2 billion (estimate: $11.59 billion)

  • Adjusted earnings per share: $3.40 (estimate: $3.26)

Shares soared today ahead of the release, outperforming peers in a broad-based rebound for semiconductor stocks. Qualcomm has declined in the session following each of its past five earnings reports. So far, the reaction is more of the same: shares are down more than 2% in premarket trading on Thursday.

It joins the likes of Advanced Micro Devices and Micron in the category of chip stocks that had their wings briefly clipped in the knee-jerk reaction to solid earnings.

Qualcomm is readying itself for a bigger push in the AI market, having recently announced new chips for data centers expected to be available in 2026 and 2027, with Saudi Arabia’s HUMAIN as the first big buyer.

The chips that go in smartphones are still Qualcomm’s biggest business, but gauging potential demand for these upcoming chips may assume more prominence for the company in the quarters to come.

Bank of America analyst Kevin Niderpruem boosted his price target on the semiconductor company to $215 from $200 following this report.

The strong results are supported by handset strength in China, attributed to timing of the Chinese holiday and product launches, as well as solid performance in non-handsets and long-term opportunities in data centers,” he writes.

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Lululemon’s stretch getting tested: Stock plunges after after outlook is cut

Lululemon shares are down double digits in premarket trading after the company cut its full-year sales and profit outlook, overshadowing a Q1 beat and raising fresh concerns about the brand’s turnaround efforts.

The company now expects fiscal 2026 revenue to be flat to down 1%, compared with its prior forecast for 2% to 4% growth. Guidance for full-year diluted earnings per share was dragged down to a range of $10.95 to $11.15, below the company’s previous guidance of $12.10 to $12.30 and well below Wall Street’s estimate of $13.26.

Key numbers for Q1:

  • EPS of $1.69 vs. the $1.68 expected.

  • Revenue of $2.47 billion vs. the $2.43 billion expected.

The modest top-line beat masked a widening divergence between Lululemons geographic markets. While international revenue rose 22% overall with a 30% increase in Mainland China, the bigger problem remains North America, where revenue fell 5%.

Interim co-CEO and CFO Meghan Frank acknowledged during the earnings call that recent product rollouts underperformed. A highly anticipated yoga campaign failed to generate its expected halo effect across broader product lines.

Profitability metrics took a major hit, with gross margins contracting by 410 basis points to 54.2% due to mounting tariff costs and promotional markdowns. Operating income consequently fell 37% year over year to $276.9 million.

“We experienced spikes of negative commentary in the media and on social channels with regard to our brand, which had an impact on traffic and overall top-line performance,” Frank said during the earnings call. “And second, not all of our product launches have met our expectations. While we have had several successful launches so far this year, we have seen others as we start Q2 not generate the anticipated guest response.”

Lululemons valuation has already been steadily compressing for years. While it was once one of retails richly valued stocks, investors have been questioning whether the company can return to the double-digit growth era.

The results also arrive during a leadership transition. Lululemon announced back in April that former Nike executive Heidi ONeill is set to take over as CEO in September, with investors looking to her to revive growth in North America and restore the brands growth.

As Lululemon faces both macroeconomic pressure and brand-specific challenges, its stock has dropped around 40% year to date.

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US job growth skyrocketed in May, blasting past expectations

The US economy added 172,000 jobs in the month of May, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday, sending 10-year Treasury yields higher.

The strong May job market surprised economists. Experts had predicted only 85,000 new jobs — just half the reported number. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%, as expected.

The job growth story is a hopeful spot for the economy as consumers continue to feel inflationary pressure from the Iran war.

Job gains were buoyed by the leisure and hospitality sector, which added 70,000 jobs, as well as local government, healthcare, and education.

Both the March and April jobs reports were revised upward, making them collectively 93,000 higher than previously reported.

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