Google logo in front of Google Plaza near Zhongguancun Science Park in Beijing, China on November 27, 2025. (Photo credit should read Fan Jiashan/Future Publishing via Getty Images)CFoto/Future Publishing via Getty ImagesOver the past ten years, Alphabet (GOOGL) stock has delivered an enormous $357 Bil back to its investors through actual cash in the form of dividends and share buybacks. Let’s examine some figures and see how this capacity for payouts compares with the largest capital-returning companies in ...

Core Insights - Qualcomm (QCOM) has returned a significant $87 billion to its investors over the past decade through dividends and buybacks, driven by strong cash generation from its chipset sales and high-margin royalty income [1][4] - QCOM stock ranks as the 22nd highest return to shareholders in history, indicating robust capital return capabilities [3][4] - The company has a free cash flow margin of nearly 26.9% and an operating margin of 27.8% in the last twelve months (LTM) [11] Financial Performance - Revenue growth for QCOM stands at 15.8% LTM, with a three-year average growth of 1.4% [11] - The lowest annual revenue growth recorded in the last three years was -8.4% [11] - Qualcomm stock is currently valued at a price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 17.7, which is lower compared to the S&P [11] Market Position - QCOM's capital return as a percentage of its current market cap appears inversely related to growth potential for reinvestments, contrasting with companies like Meta and Microsoft that have lower capital returns but higher growth rates [5][6] - The company’s strong fundamentals are essential, but it has experienced significant declines in the past, including a nearly 79% drop during the Dot-Com bubble and about 48% during the Global Financial Crisis [8][9]

Over the last decade, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has returned a staggering $847 billion in cold, hard cash to shareholders via dividends and share buybacks. That’s almost enough cash to buy out Berkshire Hathaway or even scoop up four AMDs (NASDAQ:AMD). Apple has quietly returned the market caps of whole Fortune 500 companies, just to its investors.Close-up of blue logo on sign with facade of headquarters buildings in background near the headquarters of Apple Computers in the Silicon Valley, Cupertino, California ...