Qualcomm Responds To Statements Made By JANA Partners LLC
Apr 13, 2015, 12:50 ET
SAN DIEGO, April 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today issued the following statement regarding ideas presented by JANA Partners LLC at an investor conference this morning:
Qualcomm welcomes input from our stockholders, including JANA Partners, and we are firmly committed to maintaining an active dialogue with all stockholders and to acting in their best interests.
Our opportunities remain strong. Our innovations have made smartphones the most pervasive technology of our time. They come to market through our inclusive licensing program and our cutting-edge chipsets and continue to play an integral role in the expansion of the mobile industry. We are now bringing the benefits of mobile technologies to new areas such as automotive, healthcare, networking, smart homes, smart cities, and wearables among others.
Our business continues to generate strong operating cash flows, and we are committed to the ongoing return of capital to stockholders while retaining the financial flexibility to execute on our business plans. We recently significantly increased our stock repurchase authorization to $15 billion, one of the largest capital return programs in the sector. We plan to repurchase $10 billion of common stock within one year in addition to our current capital return commitments. Since inception, we have exceeded our minimum capital return target of 75% of free cash flow.
Our Board of Directors and management periodically review our corporate structure. Prior reviews have concluded that the synergies provided by our business model create more value for stockholders than could be created through alternative corporate structures. We will continue to evaluate opportunities to enhance stockholder value and are committed to pursuing the right course of action for all of our stockholders.
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
In addition to the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to statements regarding our commitment to maintaining an active dialogue with, and acting in the best interest of, all stockholders; the strength of our long-term opportunities; our innovations continuing to play an integral role in the expansion of the mobile industry; our bringing the benefits of mobile technologies to new areas such as automotive, healthcare, networking, smart homes, smart cities, and wearables, among others; our commitment to the ongoing return of capital to stockholders while retaining the financial flexibility to execute on our business plans; our plan to repurchase $10 billion of common stock within one year in addition to our current capital return commitments; and our commitment to continue to evaluate opportunities to enhance stockholder value. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by words such as "estimates," "guidance," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks" and similar expressions. Actual results may differ materially from those referred to in the forward-looking statements due to a number of important factors, including but not limited to risks associated with commercial network deployments, expansions and upgrades of CDMA, OFDMA and other communications technologies, our customers' and licensees' sales of products and services based on these technologies and our ability to drive our customers' demand for our products and services; competition in an environment of rapid technological change; our dependence on a small number of customers and licensees; the continued and future success of our licensing programs; attacks on our licensing business model, including current and future legal proceedings or actions of governmental or quasi-governmental bodies or standards or industry organizations; the enforcement and protection of our intellectual property rights; government regulations and policies, or adverse rulings in enforcement or other proceedings; the commercial success of our new technologies, products and services; claims by third parties that we infringe their intellectual property; acquisitions, strategic transactions and investments; our dependence on a limited number of third-party suppliers; our stock price and earnings volatility; our ability to attract and retain qualified employees; global economic conditions that impact the mobile communications industry; foreign currency fluctuations and failures in our products or services or in the products or services of our customers or licensees, including those resulting from security vulnerabilities, defects or errors. These and other risks are set forth in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the first quarter ended December 28, 2014 filed with the SEC. Our reports filed with the SEC are available on our website at www.qualcomm.com. We undertake no obligation to update, or continue to provide information with respect to, any forward-looking statement or risk factor, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
About Qualcomm Incorporated
Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is a world leader in 3G, 4G and next-generation wireless technologies. Qualcomm Incorporated includes Qualcomm's licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of its patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of Qualcomm's engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of its products and services businesses, including its semiconductor business, QCT. For more than 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of digital communications, linking people everywhere more closely to information, entertainment and each other. For more information, visit Qualcomm's website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.
Qualcomm Contacts:
Emily Kilpatrick, Corporate Communications
Phone: 1-858-845-5959
Email: [email protected]
Warren Kneeshaw, Investor Relations
Phone: 1-858-658-4813
Email: [email protected]
SOURCE Qualcomm Incorporated