What Happened
Qualcomm reported quarterly earnings of $2.55 per share, which beat the estimate of $2.26 per share. The company reported quarterly revenue of $9.34 billion, which beat the estimate of $8.86 billion.Lebenthal’s Take: “It just never deserved to be down at $120-$125 and it shouldn’t be at $155,” Cerity Partners’ Jim Lebenthal said Thursday on CNBC.
“This stock is going to $200 and above and I think it will be there within six months,” Lebenthal said. “It might get there before the end of the year.”
Earnings are expected to reach $10 per share this year and exceed $11 per share next year, he noted.
The operating leverage that Qualcomm is generating and the diversification of its business will be drivers for the stock, according to Lebenthal: “This deserves a 20 times multiple easily.”
If Qualcomm is able to earn $10 per share this year, a 20 times price-to-earnings ratio would put the share price at $200. When Qualcomm was trading in the $120 range, it was because of supply chain issues, Lebenthal said, adding that the market was getting it wrong.
QCOM Price Action
Qualcomm has traded as high as $167.94 and as low as $122.16 over a 52-week period.The stock was up 13.06 percent at $156.57 at time of publication.