NEW YORK, Feb 17, 2026, 14:03 EST — Regular session
- Qualcomm shares climbed roughly 1.7% after the company announced a UK consumer lawsuit is being withdrawn.
- Claim was for £480 million, taking aim at Qualcomm’s patent-licensing terms linked to both iPhones and Samsung devices.
- Investors are waiting for the tribunal to approve the withdrawal, with a shareholder meeting set for March 17.
Qualcomm gained 1.7%, trading at $143.08 Tuesday afternoon, after the chipmaker announced that a UK consumer lawsuit challenging its smartphone royalty fees is set to be dropped.
This is significant—the case targeted Qualcomm’s licensing model itself rather than simply chasing a payout. Licensing revenue, with its hefty margins, plays a big role in how investors view the company, especially when demand for handsets shifts.
This comes as traders sift through “unit cycle” chatter, looking for stable royalty flows. Qualcomm’s licensing business isn’t as exposed to quarterly chip shipments. Still, that’s the side facing ongoing competition-law scrutiny.
U.S. stocks ticked higher. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF added around 0.3%, iShares Semiconductor ETF inched up 0.2%. Invesco QQQ? Basically unchanged. Apple jumped 3.6%. Nvidia picked up 1.4%, Broadcom advanced 2.4%.
In London, Qualcomm faced a lawsuit alleging it leveraged its market power to compel Apple and Samsung into paying excessive royalties through a “no licence, no chips” policy. The case, which aimed to recover 480 million pounds ($652 million) for roughly 29 million consumers, is now expected to be withdrawn. Qualcomm welcomed the move, saying it would reinforce its stance that its licensing methods are legitimate, and pointed to a comparable consumer lawsuit that was tossed out in California last year. Apple and Samsung did not immediately answer requests for comment. (Reuters)
The class rep for the claim said on the case website it plans to ask the Competition Appeal Tribunal for permission to drop the proceedings—no payment from Qualcomm involved, pending the tribunal’s OK. The claim targeted buyers of specific Apple and Samsung 4G smartphones in the UK from Oct. 1, 2015 to Jan. 9, 2024. Trial kicked off Oct. 6, 2025, with a five-week schedule in view. (Smartphone Claim)
Brick Court Chambers, representing Qualcomm in the case, posted that the tribunal took testimony from Qualcomm’s senior leadership, industry figures, and economic experts during the trial. (Brick Court Chambers)
Consumers stood to get roughly 17 pounds per phone if the case went their way, Which? estimated, The Independent reported. (The Independent)
Qualcomm not only supplies chips for smartphones and other gadgets—it also collects royalties thanks to patents linked to wireless standards. These “standard-essential patents” are necessary for meeting industry benchmarks like 4G, meaning any licensing terms tend to impact a large swath of the handset supply chain.
The case isn’t officially over yet; the tribunal still needs to approve the withdrawal. If someone raises new objections to Qualcomm’s royalty practices, or if big handset makers push back, the licensing business could find itself under scrutiny again.
Eyes are now on how the tribunal replies and what filings might follow. Another milestone for investors: Qualcomm holds its annual shareholder meeting March 17. (Sec)
