Qualcomm Expands Licensing Deal With Samsung as Charges Cut Into Profit

By Austen Hufford 

Qualcomm Inc. entered into an expanded deal with one of its biggest customers and beat revenue estimates in its latest quarter even as it swung to a deep loss.

Qualcomm said Wednesday that it had reached a multiyear deal with Samsung Electronics Co. that covers various areas including mobile devices. The deal, which extends through the use of the next-generation of wireless internet, known as 5G, provides some stability to Qualcomm, which is currently in a patent dispute with its other big customer, Apple Inc. Both Samsung and Apple were responsible for more than 10% of Qualcomm revenue in its last fiscal year.

In its fiscal first quarter, Qualcomm took a $6 billion charge related to the new U.S. tax law and a $1.2 billion charge for a fine imposed by the European Commission, which claimed that payments made to Apple to entice it to exclusively use Qualcomm chips were anticompetitive.

The company posted a loss of $6.07 billion, or $4.03 a share, compared with a profit of $700 million, or 46 cents a share, in the same period a year earlier. On an adjusted basis, which takes out the charges, the company brought in 98 cents a share, above the 91 cents analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had expected.

Shares fell 0.7% in after-hours trading.

The chip maker, facing a hostile takeover bid by Broadcom Ltd. and continuing attacks on its business model from customers and regulators, has told investors in a recent presentation that it could boost profit by fiscal 2019.

Qualcomm also said its proposed deal to buy NXP Semiconductors NV for $39 billion should close in early 2018. The companies originally announced the deal in October 2016.

In all, revenue rose 1.2% to $6.07 billion, above Wall Street estimates of $5.93 billion.

For its current quarter, Qualcomm expects revenue of $4.8 billion to $5.6 billion and adjusted earnings per share of 65 cents to 75 cents.

Write to Austen Hufford at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 31, 2018 17:19 ET (22:19 GMT)

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