QCOM vs SBUX: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of QUALCOMM Incorporated and Starbucks Corporation — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-09-26.
QUALCOMM Incorporated · Technology
$201.97
-21.1% upside to fair value
Med Conviction
Grade D
High Quality
VS
Starbucks Corporation · Consumer Cyclical
$96.67
+12.3% upside to fair value
Med Conviction
Grade C
QuantHub Verdict
SBUX has more upside to fair value
(+12.3%).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
QCOM |
SBUX |
| Current Price |
$201.97 |
$96.67 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$159.42 |
$108.52 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
-21.1%
|
+12.3%
|
| Market Cap |
$212.1B |
$110.2B |
| Forward P/E |
—
|
—
|
| EV / EBITDA |
16.5x
|
22.0x
|
| Price / Sales |
4.8x
|
2.9x
|
| Price / FCF |
20.5x
|
30.4x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
-4.0%
|
-1.4%
|
| Gross Margin |
54.2%
|
31.7%
|
| Operating Margin |
23.2%
|
9.4%
|
| Return on Equity |
37.3%
|
-24.3%
|
| Dividend Yield |
1.79% |
2.57% |
| FCF Yield |
4.88%
|
3.29%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Hold
|
Buy
|
Investment Thesis
Qualcomm develops foundational wireless technologies and monetizes them through two main engines: QCT, which supplies Snapdragon application processors and modems, and QTL, which licenses a standards-essential patent portfolio covering CDMA2000, WCDMA, LTE and 5G. The licensing arm and the company's entrenched position in premium Android handsets give it a genuinely high-quality business, evidenc…
Starbucks is the world's largest specialty coffee retailer, operating company-owned and licensed coffeehouses across North America, International, and Channel Development segments, with a brand that has historically supported premium pricing and global scale. The business quality is currently strained: revenue declined 1.4% year over year in the most recent quarter, TTM operating margin is 9.4%, …
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
QCOM |
SBUX |
| Zone Low |
$119.56 |
$81.39 |
| Zone High |
$135.51 |
$92.24 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
No
|