Qualcomm
Ticker: QCOM
P/E: 16
EPS growth: 16%

If Apple is the sassy, outgoing Homecoming Queen who every guy wants to date, then Qualcomm is her shy and unassuming twin sister -- that pays a dividend!

The San Diego-based company enjoys a dominant role in the world of mobile technology. From smartphones to tablets, Qualcomm provides the chipsets for mobile devices made by Apple, Samsung, HTC and Nokia, as well as for Microsoft's Windows 8 devices. Qualcomm also rakes in a good chunk of its revenue through licensing fees and royalties for its wireless technology patents.

In addition to reporting a blowout quarter earlier this month, Qualcomm also rewarded shareholders with $362 million in cash dividends and spent $99 million to buy back 2 million shares.

As smartphones and tablets grow in popularity around the world, helped by the expansion of 3G technology in emerging markets like China and Latin America, Qualcomm will continue to benefit, analysts say. And the company boasts a massive cash balance that should allow it to invest in new technologies in the years ahead.


By Hibah Yousuf @CNNMoneyInvest - Last updated February 13 2012: 3:45 PM ET
Join the Conversation
Most Popular
 
 
 
 
 

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.