ASTS vs. QCOM: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on July 7, 2025

Here’s a clear look at ASTS and QCOM, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Overview

QCOM’s market capitalization of 178.11 billion USD is significantly greater than ASTS’s 15.96 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.

ASTS’s beta of 2.02 points to significantly higher volatility compared to QCOM (beta: 1.26), suggesting ASTS has greater potential for both gains and losses relative to market movements.

Symbol	ASTS	QCOM
Company Name	AST SpaceMobile, Inc.	QUALCOMM Incorporated
Country	US	US
Sector	Technology	Technology
Industry	Communication Equipment	Semiconductors
CEO	Abel Avellan	Cristiano Renno Amon
Price	45.6 USD	162.21 USD
Market Cap	15.96 billion USD	178.11 billion USD
Beta	2.02	1.26
Exchange	NASDAQ	NASDAQ
IPO Date	November 1, 2019	December 13, 1991
ADR	No	No

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of ASTS and QCOM by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

ASTS vs. QCOM: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Profitability

Return on Equity

ASTS

-76.72%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 30.07%
Q3: 8.07%
Median: 1.84%
Q1: -11.93%
Min: -31.65%

ASTS has a negative Return on Equity of -76.72%. This indicates the company is generating a loss for its shareholders, which can be a result of unprofitability or negative shareholder equity and is often a sign of financial distress.

QCOM

41.84%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 41.84%
Q3: 15.81%
Median: 6.31%
Q1: -5.54%
Min: -30.12%

In the upper quartile for the Semiconductors industry, QCOM’s Return on Equity of 41.84% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

ASTS vs. QCOM: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

ASTS

-19.41%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 11.59%
Q3: 6.61%
Median: 2.97%
Q1: -2.58%
Min: -13.18%

ASTS has a negative Return on Invested Capital of -19.41%. This indicates that its operations are failing to generate a profit on the total capital invested, signaling significant inefficiency or value destruction.

QCOM

23.22%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 30.91%
Q3: 11.34%
Median: 4.08%
Q1: -2.17%
Min: -19.59%

In the upper quartile for the Semiconductors industry, QCOM’s Return on Invested Capital of 23.22% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.

ASTS vs. QCOM: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

ASTS

-7,033.20%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 23.65%
Q3: 9.21%
Median: 2.46%
Q1: -8.56%
Min: -29.87%

ASTS has a negative Net Profit Margin of -7,033.20%, indicating the company is operating at a net loss as its expenses exceeded its revenues.

QCOM

26.11%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 51.69%
Q3: 19.67%
Median: 8.56%
Q1: -5.44%
Min: -38.60%

A Net Profit Margin of 26.11% places QCOM in the upper quartile for the Semiconductors industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

ASTS vs. QCOM: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

ASTS

-5,397.45%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 30.72%
Q3: 11.64%
Median: 5.79%
Q1: -2.28%
Min: -18.20%

ASTS has a negative Operating Profit Margin of -5,397.45%. This signifies the company is unprofitable at the operational level, as its core business expenses exceed its revenue.

QCOM

27.32%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 58.03%
Q3: 22.12%
Median: 8.40%
Q1: -3.73%
Min: -36.14%

An Operating Profit Margin of 27.32% places QCOM in the upper quartile for the Semiconductors industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

ASTS vs. QCOM: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	ASTS	QCOM
Return on Equity (TTM)	-76.72%	41.84%
Return on Assets (TTM)	-23.81%	19.94%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)	-19.41%	23.22%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	-7033.20%	26.11%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	-5397.45%	27.32%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	-486.80%	55.68%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

ASTS

10.62

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 3.40
Q3: 2.59
Median: 1.62
Q1: 1.32
Min: 0.86

ASTS’s Current Ratio of 10.62 is exceptionally high, placing it well outside the typical range for the Communication Equipment industry. This indicates a very strong liquidity position, though such a high ratio may also suggest that the company is not using its assets efficiently to generate profits.

QCOM

2.73

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 9.10
Q3: 5.23
Median: 3.09
Q1: 2.49
Min: 1.02

QCOM’s Current Ratio of 2.73 aligns with the median group of the Semiconductors industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

ASTS vs. QCOM: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

ASTS

0.02

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 1.82
Q3: 1.00
Median: 0.53
Q1: 0.20
Min: 0.02

Falling into the lower quartile for the Communication Equipment industry, ASTS’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.02 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.

QCOM

0.53

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 0.97
Q3: 0.46
Median: 0.21
Q1: 0.05
Min: 0.00

QCOM’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Semiconductors industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.53. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.

ASTS vs. QCOM: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

ASTS

-52.83

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 16.12
Q3: 9.22
Median: 2.52
Q1: -0.75
Min: -12.07

ASTS has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -52.83. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.

QCOM

22.61

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 36.25
Q3: 29.12
Median: 7.01
Q1: -1.22
Min: -18.18

QCOM’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 22.61 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Semiconductors industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

ASTS vs. QCOM: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	ASTS	QCOM
Current Ratio (TTM)	10.62	2.73
Quick Ratio (TTM)	10.62	2.08
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)	0.02	0.53
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)	0.01	0.26
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)	1.82	0.56
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	-52.83	22.61

Growth

The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ASTS and QCOM. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.

Revenue Growth

ASTS vs. QCOM: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

ASTS vs. QCOM: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth.

Free Cash Flow Growth

ASTS vs. QCOM: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Free Cash Flow Growth.

Dividend

Dividend Yield

ASTS

0.00%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 4.72%
Q3: 0.38%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ASTS currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.

QCOM

2.12%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 6.48%
Q3: 0.93%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

With a Dividend Yield of 2.12%, QCOM offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Semiconductors industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

ASTS vs. QCOM: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

ASTS

0.00%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 91.96%
Q3: 26.44%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ASTS has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.

QCOM

34.21%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 204.29%
Q3: 31.85%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

QCOM’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 34.21% is in the upper quartile for the Semiconductors industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.

ASTS vs. QCOM: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	ASTS	QCOM
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	2.12%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	34.21%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

ASTS

-31.32

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 44.37
Q3: 41.98
Median: 30.61
Q1: 23.44
Min: 2.14

ASTS has a negative P/E Ratio of -31.32. This occurs when a company has negative earnings (a net loss), making the ratio unsuitable for valuation analysis.

QCOM

16.22

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 86.15
Q3: 47.38
Median: 27.87
Q1: 18.89
Min: 4.73

In the lower quartile for the Semiconductors industry, QCOM’s P/E Ratio of 16.22 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.

ASTS vs. QCOM: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

ASTS

15.35

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 15.97
Q3: 6.99
Median: 2.78
Q1: 0.66
Min: 0.05

The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Communication Equipment industry.

QCOM

3.71

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 4.73
Q3: 2.80
Median: 1.11
Q1: 0.68
Min: 0.01

The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Semiconductors industry.

ASTS vs. QCOM: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

ASTS

5,043.28

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 6.38
Q3: 3.88
Median: 2.17
Q1: 1.15
Min: 0.37

With a P/S Ratio of 5,043.28, ASTS trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Communication Equipment industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

QCOM

4.21

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 21.96
Q3: 10.21
Median: 4.45
Q1: 2.32
Min: 0.48

QCOM’s P/S Ratio of 4.21 aligns with the market consensus for the Semiconductors industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

ASTS vs. QCOM: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

ASTS

13.32

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 14.42
Q3: 7.01
Median: 3.09
Q1: 1.38
Min: 0.41

ASTS’s P/B Ratio of 13.32 is in the upper tier for the Communication Equipment industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.

QCOM

6.46

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 13.12
Q3: 6.49
Median: 3.31
Q1: 1.74
Min: 0.23

QCOM’s P/B Ratio of 6.46 is within the conventional range for the Semiconductors industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

ASTS vs. QCOM: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	ASTS	QCOM
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)	-31.32	16.22
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)	15.35	3.71
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)	5043.28	4.21
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)	13.32	6.46
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)	-64.66	15.21
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)	-47.80	13.97
EV-to-Sales (TTM)	4858.60	4.39