Compare Stocks › QCOM vs VRTX
QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX)
QCOM
QUALCOMM Incorporated
$131.28
VS
VRTX
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$458.05
Rewards
QCOM
- ★QUALCOMM Incorporated has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
- ★QUALCOMM Incorporated scores 73/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with reinvestment efficiency as the strongest competitive dimension.
- ★Free cash flow has grown at a 23.3% CAGR over the past 4 years, demonstrating strong earnings power growth.
VRTX
- ★Each dollar of retained earnings has created $5.82 of market value — management is an exceptional capital allocator.
- ★PEG ratio of 0.91 suggests the stock is undervalued relative to its growth rate — paying less than 1x for each unit of earnings growth.
- ★Altman Z-Score of 12.04 indicates very low bankruptcy risk — the company is firmly in the safe zone.
Risks
QCOM
- ⚠FCF yield of 7.4% suggests reasonable valuation assuming continued moderate growth.
- ⚠Trailing P/E of 26.5x is 28% above the historical average of 20.7x — the stock trades at a premium to its own history.
- ⚠18 insider sales with no purchases over the past 12 months — a persistent pattern of insider selling.
VRTX
- ⚠ROIC has declined by 5.3 percentage points over the observed period, which may signal competitive erosion.
- ⚠FCF yield of 2.2% is below 3%, meaning the market is pricing in substantial future growth to justify the current price.
- ⚠30 insider sales totaling $75.0M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
Key Valuation Metrics
Learn more →QCOM
VRTX
Valuation
$10.42B
Free Cash Flow
$2.57B
7.43%
FCF Yield
2.21%
26.47
Trailing P/E
29.94
11.77
Forward P/E
20.87
Quality & Moat
25.70%
ROIC
18.14%
24.02%
ROE
21.18%
55.10%
Gross Margin
53.66%
N/A
PEG Ratio
0.91
Balance Sheet Safety
0.64
Debt / Equity
0.11
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
0.22
Net Debt / EBITDA
-0.94
2.71%
Dividend Yield
N/A
QCOM: 6Ties: 2VRTX: 2
QCOMVRTX
Historical Fundamentals
Learn more →QCOM
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
VRTX
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
$1 Retained Earnings Test
Learn more →QCOM
$5.06
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$11.96B
Δ Market Cap
+$60.46B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
VRTX
$5.82
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$7.04B
Δ Market Cap
+$40.93B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis
Learn more →QCOM
71.3% Overvalued
Price is 71.3% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $131.28
Strongly undervalued
Fairly valued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $76.62
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
VRTX
10.2% Margin of Safety
Price is 10.2% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $458.05
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $510.34
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth
Learn more →QCOM
What growth rate is the market pricing in at $131?
+11.2%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +2.6%
The market implies +11.2% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.
Standard FCF implies a demanding +2.6%, reflecting heavy growth investment.
VRTX
What growth rate is the market pricing in at $458?
+12.4%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +18.3%
The market implies +12.4% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.
Standard FCF implies a demanding +18.3%, reflecting heavy growth investment.
Economic Moat Score
Learn more →QCOM
73/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None
Wide moat driven primarily by reinvestment efficiency. Revenue Predictability is the area most vulnerable to competitive pressure.
Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
VRTX
65/100
Narrow Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None
Narrow moat with revenue predictability as the key competitive advantage. Improving margin stability would strengthen the moat.
Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
Forensic Accounting
Learn more →QCOM
-3.16
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone
M-Score Trend
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
VRTX
-2.21
Possible Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone
M-Score Trend
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
Ownership Breakdown
Learn more →QCOM
Insiders 0.1%Institutions 81.6%Retail & Other 18.2%
No. of Institutional Holders3,852
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
VRTX
Insiders 0.2%Institutions 97.7%Retail & Other 2.1%
No. of Institutional Holders2,318
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
Insider Buying Activity
Learn more →QCOM
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
No open market insider purchases found.
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
VRTX
0
Buys (3M)
2
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $5.84M
KEWALRAMANI RESHMA
Chief Executive Officer
$3.90M
@ $389.58 · 2025-08-06
SACHS BRUCE I
Director
$1.95M
@ $389.68 · 2025-08-06
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.
Insider Selling Activity
Learn more →QCOM
3
Sells (3M)
18
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $12.83M
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$330,815
@ $132.33 · 2026-03-12
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$458,799
@ $137.65 · 2026-02-06
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$577,620
@ $173.30 · 2026-01-02
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$2.20M
@ $175.29 · 2025-12-19
ROGERS ALEXANDER H
Officer
$2.83M
@ $178.01 · 2025-12-16
CHAPLIN ANN C
General Counsel
$1.28M
@ $178.03 · 2025-12-16
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$567,702
@ $170.33 · 2025-11-07
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$1.38M
@ $166.06 · 2025-10-20
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$522,808
@ $156.86 · 2025-09-02
MARTIN NEIL A
Officer
$122,463
@ $154.82 · 2025-08-21
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$493,610
@ $148.10 · 2025-08-04
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$537,560
@ $161.28 · 2025-07-02
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$486,965
@ $146.10 · 2025-06-02
MARTIN NEIL A
Officer
$120,808
@ $153.70 · 2025-05-21
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$465,846
@ $139.77 · 2025-05-05
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$91,442
@ $141.11 · 2025-04-09
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$119,900
@ $132.63 · 2025-04-08
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$235,262
@ $132.10 · 2025-04-04
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$523,292
@ $156.82 · 2025-03-03
MARTIN NEIL A
Officer
$130,074
@ $174.83 · 2025-02-21
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$509,397
@ $169.80 · 2025-02-12
ROGERS ALEXANDER H
Officer
$3.28M
@ $169.83 · 2025-02-10
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$463,851
@ $154.62 · 2025-01-02
CHAPLIN ANN C
General Counsel
$409,056
@ $158.12 · 2024-12-16
ROGERS ALEXANDER H
Officer
$1.67M
@ $160.59 · 2024-12-10
CHAPLIN ANN C
General Counsel
$1.24M
@ $160.59 · 2024-12-10
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$484,617
@ $161.54 · 2024-12-05
MARTIN NEIL A
Officer
$202,120
@ $155.00 · 2024-11-21
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$491,349
@ $163.78 · 2024-11-14
THOMPSON JAMES H.
Chief Technology Officer
$1.38M
@ $172.09 · 2024-11-08
CHAPLIN ANN C
General Counsel
$313,779
@ $165.06 · 2024-11-04
ROGERS ALEXANDER H
Officer
$539,157
@ $166.15 · 2024-10-02
THOMPSON JAMES H.
Chief Technology Officer
$1.36M
@ $169.80 · 2024-10-01
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$497,848
@ $165.95 · 2024-10-01
MARTIN NEIL A
Officer
$126,224
@ $163.08 · 2024-09-05
THOMPSON JAMES H.
Chief Technology Officer
$1.37M
@ $171.72 · 2024-09-03
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$497,980
@ $165.99 · 2024-09-03
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$488,662
@ $162.89 · 2024-08-08
THOMPSON JAMES H.
Chief Technology Officer
$1.28M
@ $160.50 · 2024-08-02
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$616,815
@ $205.60 · 2024-07-05
THOMPSON JAMES H.
Chief Technology Officer
$1.60M
@ $199.47 · 2024-07-01
THOMPSON JAMES H.
Chief Technology Officer
$1.68M
@ $209.61 · 2024-06-03
PALKHIWALA AKASH J
Chief Operating Officer
$617,299
@ $205.77 · 2024-06-03
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
VRTX
30
Sells (3M)
40
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $146.21M
BOZIC CARMEN
Officer
$1.12M
@ $481.79 · 2026-03-13
MCKECHNIE DUNCAN
Officer
$1.31M
@ $498.42 · 2026-03-11
MCKECHNIE DUNCAN
Officer
$1.16M
@ $475.30 · 2026-03-04
LIU JOY
Officer
$442,396
@ $495.96 · 2026-03-02
BOZIC CARMEN
Officer
$1.12M
@ $480.31 · 2026-02-27
KEWALRAMANI RESHMA
Chief Executive Officer
$19.74M
@ $493.47 · 2026-02-27
AMBROSE KRISTEN
Officer
$172,560
@ $483.36 · 2026-02-26
ATKINSON EDWARD MORROW III
Chief Technology Officer
$324,882
@ $486.35 · 2026-02-25
MCKECHNIE DUNCAN
Officer
$2.39M
@ $487.65 · 2026-02-25
BUNNAGE MARK E.
Officer
$301,537
@ $486.35 · 2026-02-25
AMBROSE KRISTEN
Officer
$108,456
@ $486.35 · 2026-02-25
BILLER JONATHAN PRIM
Officer
$459,601
@ $486.35 · 2026-02-25
TATSIS OURANIA
Officer
$126,451
@ $486.35 · 2026-02-25
SACHDEV AMIT
Officer
$897,802
@ $486.35 · 2026-02-25
SACHDEV AMIT
Officer
$27.48M
@ $468.83 · 2026-02-19
ATKINSON EDWARD MORROW III
Chief Technology Officer
$1.38M
@ $484.93 · 2026-02-18
BUNNAGE MARK E.
Officer
$1.75M
@ $484.31 · 2026-02-18
AMBROSE KRISTEN
Officer
$1.06M
@ $484.87 · 2026-02-18
BILLER JONATHAN PRIM
Officer
$1.80M
@ $484.18 · 2026-02-18
TATSIS OURANIA
Officer
$472,395
@ $483.52 · 2026-02-18
BILLER JONATHAN PRIM
Officer
$493,012
@ $499.00 · 2026-02-13
TATSIS OURANIA
Officer
$749,985
@ $499.99 · 2026-02-13
BHATIA SANGEETA N
Director
$133,000
@ $500.00 · 2026-02-13
ATKINSON EDWARD MORROW III
Chief Technology Officer
$806,213
@ $460.43 · 2026-02-11
BUNNAGE MARK E.
Officer
$930,529
@ $460.43 · 2026-02-11
AMBROSE KRISTEN
Officer
$633,552
@ $460.43 · 2026-02-11
BILLER JONATHAN PRIM
Officer
$886,328
@ $460.43 · 2026-02-11
TATSIS OURANIA
Officer
$214,560
@ $460.43 · 2026-02-11
TATSIS OURANIA
Officer
$2.14M
@ $474.99 · 2026-01-07
WAGNER CHARLES F JR
Chief Operating Officer
$4.39M
@ $461.00 · 2026-01-06
BILLER JONATHAN PRIM
Officer
$155,803
@ $449.00 · 2025-12-03
TATSIS OURANIA
Officer
$2.02M
@ $449.99 · 2025-12-03
WAGNER CHARLES F JR
Chief Operating Officer
$6.38M
@ $456.00 · 2025-12-03
LEIDEN JEFFREY M
Officer and Director
$28.65M
@ $449.20 · 2025-12-03
ATKINSON EDWARD MORROW III
Chief Technology Officer
$1.09M
@ $434.58 · 2025-11-17
LEIDEN JEFFREY M
Officer and Director
$32.29M
@ $440.60 · 2025-11-14
BILLER JONATHAN PRIM
Officer
$280,522
@ $404.21 · 2025-10-02
BHATIA SANGEETA N
Director
$102,860
@ $386.69 · 2025-08-27
ALTSHULER DAVID
Officer
$22,084
@ $424.69 · 2025-05-15
BHATIA SANGEETA N
Director
$202,344
@ $505.86 · 2025-05-02
ALTSHULER DAVID
Officer
$1.65M
@ $510.00 · 2025-03-13
TATSIS OURANIA
Officer
$1.62M
@ $499.99 · 2025-03-10
ALTSHULER DAVID
Officer
$1.62M
@ $500.00 · 2025-03-10
WAGNER CHARLES F JR
Chief Financial Officer
$1.65M
@ $500.00 · 2025-03-10
TATSIS OURANIA
Officer
$1.97M
@ $485.49 · 2025-03-04
ALTSHULER DAVID
Officer
$1.58M
@ $490.00 · 2025-03-03
ATKINSON EDWARD MORROW III
Chief Technology Officer
$1.26M
@ $475.34 · 2025-02-27
TATSIS OURANIA
Officer
$251,930
@ $475.34 · 2025-02-27
ALTSHULER DAVID
Officer
$610,560
@ $480.00 · 2025-02-27
ATKINSON EDWARD MORROW III
Officer
$849,839
@ $480.95 · 2025-02-25
AMBROSE KRISTEN
Officer
$425,160
@ $480.95 · 2025-02-25
TATSIS OURANIA
Officer
$170,256
@ $480.95 · 2025-02-25
ALTSHULER DAVID
Officer
$407,846
@ $480.95 · 2025-02-25
ALTSHULER DAVID
Officer
$533,280
@ $480.00 · 2025-02-20
AMBROSE KRISTEN
Officer
$305,345
@ $455.06 · 2025-02-18
BILLER JONATHAN PRIM
Officer
$754,034
@ $455.06 · 2025-02-18
TATSIS OURANIA
Officer
$111,035
@ $455.06 · 2025-02-18
AMBROSE KRISTEN
Officer
$632,726
@ $459.83 · 2025-02-11
ATKINSON EDWARD MORROW III
Chief Technology Officer
$803,323
@ $459.83 · 2025-02-11
BILLER JONATHAN PRIM
Officer
$1.58M
@ $459.87 · 2025-02-11
TATSIS OURANIA
Officer
$142,547
@ $459.83 · 2025-02-11
ALTSHULER DAVID
Officer
$7,178
@ $478.53 · 2024-11-15
WAGNER CHARLES F JR
Chief Financial Officer
$1.55M
@ $518.27 · 2024-11-11
KEWALRAMANI RESHMA
Chief Executive Officer
$7.83M
@ $515.00 · 2024-11-08
BILLER JONATHAN PRIM
Officer
$461,198
@ $461.66 · 2024-10-02
BHATIA SANGEETA N
Director
$323,000
@ $500.00 · 2024-08-30
LEIDEN JEFFREY M
Officer and Director
$1.89M
@ $499.00 · 2024-08-30
BHATIA SANGEETA N
Director
$602,447
@ $466.29 · 2024-08-08
BOZIC CARMEN
Officer
$1.09M
@ $476.75 · 2024-08-07
SACHS BRUCE I
Director
$2.69M
@ $508.00 · 2024-08-01
KEWALRAMANI RESHMA
Chief Executive Officer
$7.68M
@ $505.00 · 2024-07-30
BOZIC CARMEN
Officer
$1.11M
@ $488.46 · 2024-07-24
KEWALRAMANI RESHMA
Chief Executive Officer
$7.56M
@ $497.00 · 2024-07-22
BOZIC CARMEN
Officer
$1.11M
@ $487.34 · 2024-07-10
BOZIC CARMEN
Officer
$1.08M
@ $471.72 · 2024-06-26
BOZIC CARMEN
Officer
$1.09M
@ $478.00 · 2024-06-12
ATKINSON EDWARD MORROW III
Chief Technology Officer
$3.48M
@ $478.00 · 2024-06-12
TATSIS OURANIA
Officer
$1.00M
@ $460.00 · 2024-06-03
WAGNER CHARLES F JR
Chief Financial Officer
$1.50M
@ $460.00 · 2024-06-03
TATSIS OURANIA
Officer
$2.03M
@ $441.99 · 2024-05-31
BOZIC CARMEN
Officer
$1.02M
@ $445.56 · 2024-05-29
WAGNER CHARLES F JR
Chief Financial Officer
$1.48M
@ $454.79 · 2024-05-28
KEWALRAMANI RESHMA
Chief Executive Officer
$715,205
@ $457.00 · 2024-05-24
SACHS BRUCE I
Director
$3.17M
@ $448.00 · 2024-05-22
KEWALRAMANI RESHMA
Chief Executive Officer
$6.80M
@ $447.00 · 2024-05-20
ARBUCKLE STUART A
Chief Operating Officer
$29,734
@ $430.93 · 2024-05-15
ALTSHULER DAVID
Officer
$23,270
@ $430.93 · 2024-05-15
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.
🎭 Mr. Market's Mood
Learn more →QCOM
😨Fear(30/100)
"Market is pessimistic — investigate whether fears are temporary or structural"
Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
VRTX
😐Neutral(50/100)
"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"
Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
⚖️ Buffett Signal
Learn more →QCOM
⚪Awaiting DCF Data
The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Fear (30)
VRTX
⚪Awaiting DCF Data
The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (50)