Chief Financial Officer Akash Palkhiwala added that QTL licensing revenue was $1.6 billion with earnings before taxes (EBT) margin of 77%, coming in at the high end of guidance due to higher units and favorable mix. On the chip side, QCT handset revenue was a record $7.8 billion, which he attributed to recently launched flagship smartphones.CEO Cristiano Amon said fiscal Q1 delivered record total revenue of $12.3 billion. Within Qualcomm CDMA Technologies (QCT), the company posted record revenue of $10.6 bi ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported record revenues of $12.3 billion and non-GAAP earnings per share (EPS) of $3.50 for fiscal Q1 2026, with non-GAAP EPS at the high end of guidance [6][16] - QCT revenues reached a record $10.6 billion, driven by strong performance in automotive and IoT segments [6][16] - Licensing business revenues were $1.6 billion, with an EBT margin of 77%, reflecting higher units and favorable mix [16] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - QCT handset revenues reached a record $7.8 billion, benefiting from recently launched flagship smartphones [16] - QCT IoT revenues grew 9% year-over-year to $1.7 billion, driven by demand across consumer and networking products [16] - QCT Automotive revenues grew to $1.1 billion, up 15% year-over-year, driven by increased demand for Snapdragon Digital Chassis platforms [17] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Global consumer demand for handsets, particularly in the premium and high-tier segments, exceeded expectations, with healthy sell-through observed [6][7] - The handset industry is expected to face constraints due to memory availability and pricing, particularly DRAM, as suppliers redirect capacity to meet AI data center demand [7][18] - The company anticipates that the overall size of the handset market will be defined by memory availability throughout the fiscal year [39][69] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on expanding its presence in the premium and high-tier smartphone segments, with a dual flagship product strategy that has been well received [8][42] - The company is investing in AI-native smartphones and intelligent wearables, positioning Snapdragon platforms as the choice for the industry [8][12] - The company aims to strengthen its leadership in automotive and robotics, with multiple design wins and collaborations with major automakers [10][22] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the fundamentals of the handset business despite near-term challenges related to memory supply [18][39] - The company expects to return to prior growth trajectories for QCT handset revenues once memory supply conditions normalize [18] - Management remains optimistic about the long-term growth potential in automotive and IoT, with combined growth expected to outpace long-term revenue targets [21][22] Other Important Information - The company returned $3.6 billion to stockholders, including $2.6 billion in stock repurchases and $949 million in dividends [17] - The company completed the acquisition of Alphawave Semi, enhancing its data center solutions [14] Q&A Session Summary Question: What factors are driving the weakness in handset outlook beyond memory pricing? - Management indicated that the weakness is entirely related to memory availability, with strong microeconomic indicators and handset demand observed [26][27] Question: Is the automotive revenue growth driven by ADAS wins? - Management confirmed that the automotive pipeline continues to translate into revenue, with new car launches contributing to record revenues [30] Question: How is the company progressing with data center customers? - Management reported positive progress with customers, including shipping to Humane and engagement with major hyperscalers [34] Question: What is the company's strategy regarding memory shortages? - Management clarified that they do not purchase memory directly but work with customers who do, ensuring flexibility in memory sourcing [67][69] Question: How does the company plan to navigate the memory allocation challenges with larger OEMs? - Management acknowledged that larger OEMs may have better access to memory but emphasized that the issue is industry-wide and not limited to specific customers [73]

Group 1: Industry Overview - The CES 2026 showcased over 4,000 companies, focusing on AI and its integration into various products, including PCs, home appliances, and foundational chips [1] - The combined market capitalization of the four major semiconductor companies—NVIDIA, AMD, Qualcomm, and Intel—reaches nearly $5.3 trillion, indicating significant investor interest in AI technologies [1] - Concerns about the over-exuberance of the AI market persist, with 2026 expected to be a year for evaluating genuine value creation rather than mere speculation [1] Group 2: NVIDIA Developments - NVIDIA unexpectedly launched its next-generation AI chip platform "Rubin," which significantly enhances training and inference performance by 3.5 times and 5 times, respectively, compared to its predecessor [2] - The company reported over $500 billion in orders for its Blackwell and Rubin architectures for 2025-2026, reflecting strong demand for computing power in data centers [2] - NVIDIA introduced the open-source autonomous driving model "Alpamayo," which features 10 billion parameters and aims to streamline the processing from sensor input to driving commands [3] Group 3: AMD Initiatives - AMD adopted an aggressive "stacking" strategy, showcasing the Helios AI rack, which integrates 72 MI455X accelerator chips and 31TB of HBM4 memory, claiming it to be the best AI rack globally [5][6] - The new generation of chips is expected to deliver up to a 10-fold performance improvement under various workloads, aided by a hybrid 2nm and 3nm manufacturing process [6] - AMD signed a significant infrastructure procurement agreement with OpenAI, valued at 6 gigawatts, marking a substantial entry into the core supply chain of leading AI model developers [6] Group 4: Qualcomm and Intel Strategies - Qualcomm is diversifying its strategy to reduce reliance on the smartphone market, launching the Snapdragon X2 Plus chip aimed at the mid-range laptop market, with a focus on energy efficiency and 5G connectivity [8] - Intel introduced the "Panther Lake" third-generation Core Ultra processor, its first chip manufactured using the 18A process, which is crucial for regaining manufacturing leadership [9] - The third-generation Core Ultra processors are set to be released in the second quarter of 2026, targeting industrial, medical, and smart city applications [10]