• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechQualcomm

Qualcomm pays $975 million, resolves China antitrust dispute

By
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 9, 2015, 5:10 PM ET
General Views of Qualcomm
Photograph by Konrad Fiedler — Bloomberg/Getty Images
(Reuters) – Qualcomm (QCOM) has agreed to pay China a fine of $975 million, the largest in the country’s corporate history, ending a 14-month government investigation into anti-competitive practices.The deal also requires Qualcomm to lower its royalty rates on patents used in China, the U.S. chip-maker said in a statement.

Qualcomm cut its full-year earnings estimate because of the fine, which it said would cost it about 58 cents per share, but it raised the lower end of its revenue forecast slightly.

Investors welcomed the end of the drawn-out investigation, sending Qualcomm’s shares up 1.6 percent to $68.18 in after-hours trading.

“It removes a significant source of uncertainly from our business and really positions our licensing group to really participate in the full growth of the wireless market in China,” Qualcomm Chief Executive Officer Steve Mollenkopf told Reuters in a phone interview. “It’s something we’re happy is over.”

Discussions in Beijing over one of the most contentious cases under China’s 2008 anti-monopoly law had intensified in recent weeks, culminating in meetings between Qualcomm senior executives and National Development and Reform Commission officials on Friday.

Under the terms of the agreement, Qualcomm will not dispute China’s finding that it violated the country’s anti-monopoly law, and it will offer licenses to its current 3G and 4G essential Chinese patents – widely used by Chinese device makers – separately from other patents.

As a result of the fine, Qualcomm said it now expects full-year earnings per share of between $3.56 and $3.76 for fiscal 2015, compared with its prior forecast of $4.04 to $4.34.

It raised its fiscal 2015 revenue forecast to a range of $26.3 billion to $28 billion, slightly raising the lower end of its last forecast of $26 billion to $28 billion.

Excluding the cost of the fine and other one-time items, Qualcomm forecast earnings of $4.85 to $5.05 per share, raising the lower end of its previous forecast of $4.75 to $5.05. On that basis, analysts had expected $4.96 per share, on average, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Qualcomm is just one of several overseas companies, including Microsoft , that have come under investigation in China for allegedly anti-competitive practices.

About the Author
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Tech

NewslettersTerm Sheet
The AI startups founders and VCs say could be acquisition targets in 2026
By Allie GarfinkleDecember 24, 2025
21 minutes ago
Thierry Breton, former European Commissioner for the Internal Market, in Paris on June 13, 2025. (Photo: Thomas Samson/AFP/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
U.S. denies visas for five Europeans, alleging American censorship
By Andrew NuscaDecember 24, 2025
37 minutes ago
Man checking watch as he walks through forrest
Successchief executive officer (CEO)
CEOs reveal their New Year’s resolutions for 2026: From 8-day bike races and AI training, to finally cracking 7 hours of sleep a night
By Emma BurleighDecember 24, 2025
1 hour ago
President Donald Trump walks to the South Portico along the South Lawn at the White House on December 13, 2025 in Washington, DC
EconomyWall Street
‘Precarious’ is Wall Street’s defining word for 2026
By Eleanor PringleDecember 24, 2025
2 hours ago
AI Artificial Intelligence on a laptop with a blue abstract background
BankingFinance
In 2026, CFOs predict AI transformation, not just efficiency gains
By Sheryl EstradaDecember 24, 2025
2 hours ago
AIEye on AI
Silicon Valley’s tone-deaf take on the AI backlash will matter in 2026
By Sharon GoldmanDecember 23, 2025
16 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
Billionaire philanthropy's growing divide: Mark Zuckerberg stops funding immigration reform as MacKenzie Scott doubles down on DEI
By Ashley LutzDecember 22, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
By Sydney LakeDecember 22, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
The average worker would need to save for 52 years to claw their way out of the middle class and be classified as wealthy, new research reveals
By Orianna Rosa RoyleDecember 23, 2025
18 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
'When we got out of college, we had a job waiting for us': 80-year-old boomer says her generation left behind a different economy for her grandkids
By Mike Schneider and The Associated PressDecember 23, 2025
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Financial experts warn future winner of the $1.7 billion Powerball: Don't make these common money mistakes
By Ashley LutzDecember 23, 2025
16 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman says in 10 years' time college graduates will be working 'some completely new, exciting, super well-paid' job in space
By Preston ForeDecember 23, 2025
20 hours ago