ARM vs. QCOM

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

ARM (Arm Holdings plc American Depositary Shares) and QCOM (QUALCOMM Incorporated) are both stocks. Both operate in the Semiconductors industry within the Technology sector. Over the past year, ARM returned 219.47% vs 68.10% for QCOM. A 0.57 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined.

Performance

ARM vs. QCOM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Arm Holdings plc American Depositary Shares (ARM) and QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ARM achieves a 268.41% return, which is significantly higher than QCOM's 41.70% return.

ARM

• 1D: -1.50%
• 1M: 90.70%
• YTD: 268.41%
• 6M: 195.07%
• 1Y: 219.47%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

QCOM

• 1D: 5.17%
• 1M: 36.06%
• YTD: 41.70%
• 6M: 42.72%
• 1Y: 68.10%
• 3Y*: 30.36%
• 5Y*: 15.19%
• 10Y*: 19.09%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ARM vs. QCOM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
ARM Arm Holdings plc American Depositary Shares	268.41%	-11.39%	64.16%	18.17%
QCOM QUALCOMM Incorporated	41.70%	13.84%	8.31%	27.63%

Correlation

The correlation between ARM and QCOM is 0.47, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.47
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 15, 2023	0.57

The correlation between ARM and QCOM shifts across timeframes, from 0.47 (1 year) to 0.57 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap ARM : $430.09B QCOM : $258.18B
EPS ARM : $0.85 QCOM : $9.11
PE Ratio ARM : 475.66 QCOM : 26.42
PS Ratio ARM : 87.40 QCOM : 5.89
PB Ratio ARM : 51.91 QCOM : 9.46
Total Revenue (TTM) ARM : $4.92B QCOM : $44.49B
Gross Profit (TTM) ARM : $4.66B QCOM : $24.38B
EBITDA (TTM) ARM : $1.37B QCOM : $12.92B

Return for Risk

ARM vs. QCOM — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

ARM

ARM Risk / Return Rank: 92
ARM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 96
ARM Sortino Ratio Rank: 93
ARM Omega Ratio Rank: 92
ARM Calmar Ratio Rank: 92
ARM Martin Ratio Rank: 88

QCOM

QCOM Risk / Return Rank: 78
QCOM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 81
QCOM Sortino Ratio Rank: 78
QCOM Omega Ratio Rank: 81
QCOM Calmar Ratio Rank: 75
QCOM Martin Ratio Rank: 74

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

ARM vs. QCOM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Arm Holdings plc American Depositary Shares (ARM) and QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	ARM	QCOM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	3.39	1.50	+1.89
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.80	2.23	+1.57
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.48	1.32	+0.17
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	5.39	2.11	+3.28
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	10.70	4.76	+5.93
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ARM vs. QCOM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ARM Sharpe Ratio is 3.39, which is higher than the QCOM Sharpe Ratio of 1.50. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ARM and QCOM, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ARM	QCOM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.39	1.50	+1.89
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.38	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.49	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.30	0.43	+0.87

Drawdowns

ARM vs. QCOM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ARM drawdown since its inception was -53.97%, smaller than the maximum QCOM drawdown of -86.75%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ARM and QCOM.

Drawdown Indicators

	ARM	QCOM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-53.97%	-86.75%	+32.78%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-41.47%	-33.13%	-8.34%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	—	-44.23%	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-44.29%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-44.29%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.50%	-4.06%	+2.56%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-21.45%	-32.89%	+11.44%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	20.88%	14.65%	+6.23%

Volatility

ARM vs. QCOM - Volatility Comparison

Arm Holdings plc American Depositary Shares (ARM) has a higher volatility of 33.78% compared to QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) at 29.20%. This indicates that ARM's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than QCOM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ARM	QCOM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	33.78%	29.20%	+4.58%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	53.31%	38.65%	+14.66%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	65.22%	45.75%	+19.47%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	75.41%	40.52%	+34.89%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	75.41%	38.94%	+36.47%

Dividends

ARM vs. QCOM - Dividend Comparison

ARM has not paid dividends to shareholders, while QCOM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.48%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ARM Arm Holdings plc American Depositary Shares	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
QCOM QUALCOMM Incorporated	1.48%	2.06%	2.18%	2.18%	2.67%	1.47%	1.69%	2.81%	4.27%	3.50%	3.17%	3.72%

Financials

ARM vs. QCOM - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Arm Holdings plc American Depositary Shares and QUALCOMM Incorporated over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

ARM - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Arm Holdings plc American Depositary Shares reported a gross profit of 1.39B and revenue of 1.49B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 93.1%.

QCOM - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, QUALCOMM Incorporated reported a gross profit of 5.70B and revenue of 10.60B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 53.8%.

ARM - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Arm Holdings plc American Depositary Shares reported an operating income of 440.00M and revenue of 1.49B, resulting in an operating margin of 29.5%.

QCOM - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, QUALCOMM Incorporated reported an operating income of 2.31B and revenue of 10.60B, resulting in an operating margin of 21.8%.

ARM - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Arm Holdings plc American Depositary Shares reported a net income of 313.00M and revenue of 1.49B, resulting in a net margin of 21.0%.

QCOM - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, QUALCOMM Incorporated reported a net income of 7.37B and revenue of 10.60B, resulting in a net margin of 69.5%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ARM and QCOM in my portfolio?

ARM and QCOM have a correlation of 0.47, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, ARM or QCOM?

ARM has higher volatility (33.78%) compared to QCOM (29.20%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ARM dropped -53.97% vs QCOM's -86.75%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

ARM currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.39 vs 1.50), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.