Start here if you're new
what it is
InterDigital invents wireless and video tech, patents it, and gets paid when other companies use it in phones, TVs, and connected devices.
how it gets paid
Last year Interdigital made $834M in revenue.
why growth slowed
Revenue fell 4.0% last year. The number that mattered was $676 million of quarterly revenue.
what just happened
InterDigital's last reported quarter beat estimates by 35.03%, with EPS of $2.12 versus a $1.57 consensus.
At a glance
B+ balance sheet — decent shape, but not bulletproof
40/100 earnings predictability — expect surprises
24.6x trailing p/e — priced about right
0.7% dividend yield — cash in your pocket every quarter
21.5% return on capital — every dollar works hard here
xvary composite: 55/100 — below average
What they do
InterDigital invents wireless and video tech, patents it, and gets paid when other companies use it in phones, TVs, and connected devices.
InterDigital owns about 38,000 patents and patent applications. Patents → legal rights over core tech → so other companies pay to ship devices without picking patent fights. With only 460 employees, it still posted a 55.3% operating margin on $834 million of revenue, so your business is tiny in headcount and huge in cash extraction.
How they make money
$834M
annual revenue · revenue declined -4.0% last year
total revenue
$834M
4.0%
The products that matter
licenses wireless and video patents
Patent Licensing Portfolio
$834M revenue · entire business
it's the whole company: $834M in annual revenue, a 38.7% net margin, and a business model where legal rights do most of the selling.
100% of revenue
wireless and video R&D engine
Research Pipeline
supports future renewals
there's no separate revenue line here, and that's the point. the portfolio has to stay relevant enough to protect an $834M royalty base next time contracts come up.
moat upkeep
patent enforcement and dealmaking
Litigation and Licensing Actions
cost center and catalyst
with just $16M in long-term debt, the balance sheet can absorb legal fights better than most. the issue is earnings noise, not solvency.
watch closely
Key numbers
55.3%
operating margin
Operating margin → profit left after running the business → so more than half of each revenue dollar survives operations.
$16M
long-term debt
That is 0% of capital, so your balance-sheet risk is tiny compared with most tech companies.
$9.85
2026 EPS est
That is the current 2026 earnings view, down from $15.31 in 2025, so you are paying up before the reset fully clears.
$324
18-month target
That sits $52.60 below the current $376.60 stock price, so near-term upside already looks spoken for.
Financial health
B+
strength
- balance sheet grade B+ — solid but not elite
- risk rank 3 — safer than 50% of stocks
- price stability 50 / 100
- long-term debt $16M (0% of capital)
- net profit margin 37.1% — keeps 37 cents of every dollar in revenue
- return on equity 23% — $0.23 profit for every $1 investors have put in
B+ — functional but not a standout on the balance sheet.
Total return vs. market
You invested $10,000 in IDCC 3 years ago → it's now worth $53,860.
The index would have given you $13,880.
source: institutional data · total return
What just happened
beat estimates
InterDigital's last reported quarter beat estimates by 35.03%, with EPS of $2.12 versus a $1.57 consensus.
Latest-quarter revenue was $676 million, up 310% vs. prior year, showing how this licensing model can swing hard when deals land. That is the quiet part out loud: one quarter can look like a boom town, then normalize fast.
$676M
revenue
$10.68
eps
88.77%
gross margin
the number that mattered
The number that mattered was $676 million of quarterly revenue, because a 310% jump tells you collections are lumpy enough to overwhelm almost every other line item.
-
interdigital’s revenue and earnings will likely take a step back this year.
-
the company faces a few challenges that could prevent steady revenue and earnings growth in 2026.
-
one of the key hurdles is the renewal of expired licensing agreements.while the company has already renegotiated a significant portion of these contracts, some remain unresolved, and delays in finalizing these deals could impact recurring revenue. additionally, the process of securing new agreements with major players in emerging markets, such as streaming platforms, is proving to be more time-consuming than expected. since this is a relatively new area for interdigital, it requires extra effort to demonstrate the value of its portfolio and convince these companies to sign long-term agreements. another challenge is the elevated litigation costs associated with enforcing its intellectual property rights. interdigital is actively pursuing legal action against companies like disney+ and amazon.com, which involves multijurisdictional cases and significant legal expenses. while these efforts are critical for protecting its intellectual property and securing fair compensation, the costs could weigh on earnings in the short term.
-
demand for interdigital’s technology and services looks strong.
-
as the world becomes increasingly interconnected, the need for advanced wireless communication, efficient video delivery, and cutting edge artificial intelligence (ai) solutions is skyrocketing.
source: company earnings report, 2026
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What could go wrong
the #1 risk is licensing renewal delays in wireless and video patents.
high
licensing renewal delays
The bull case assumes expired or expiring agreements get replaced fast enough to support the royalty base. Right now, analysts expect revenue to fall from $834M to $700M. That tells you the gap is already in the numbers.
A slower renewal cycle pressures the entire licensing model because essentially all revenue sits in the same bucket.
med
patent enforcement costs
Cases involving Disney+ and Amazon span multiple jurisdictions. Enforcement is part of the moat, but so is the bill. Litigation can protect long-term economics while making near-term earnings uglier.
With FY2026 EPS estimated at $9.85 versus $15.31 in FY2025, there isn't much room for extra expense before sentiment turns.
med
earnings lumpiness
Quarterly EPS ran from $6.43 to $2.12 inside the same fiscal year. That's not a broken company. It's a reminder that this business does not print revenue on a clean subscription cadence.
A 40/100 earnings predictability score means valuation swings can come from timing, not just fundamentals.
low
expectation risk after a huge run
The stock moved from a 52-week low of $170 to $376.60, and the three-year return crushed the market. That raises the bar. A good business can still be a tough stock when expectations get ahead of signed deals.
The street midpoint target at $324 says some of that optimism may already be stretched.
A delay in renewals or a spike in legal expense would hit the same $834M revenue engine investors are paying up for.
source: institutional data · regulatory filings · risk analysis
Pay attention to
catalyst
the revenue reset
Consensus is at $700M for FY2026 versus $834M last year. If that gap narrows, the stock can justify ignoring the street's $324 midpoint.
risk
licensing renewals
This is the whole story. One revenue stream means unresolved contracts matter more here than at a diversified tech company.
earnings
quarterly EPS rhythm
FY2025 quarterly EPS ran $4.21, $6.43, $2.55, then $2.12. You want to see that pattern stabilize, not keep stair-stepping down.
trend
valuation vs. targets
The stock is at $376.60 while the analyst midpoint is $324. When price outruns targets, contract news has to do more of the heavy lifting.
Analyst rankings
short-term outlook
average
momentum score 3. in human-speak, analysts don't see a strong short-term edge either way.
risk profile
average
stability score 3 means typical stock-level risk. The business is profitable, but the revenue cadence is not especially smooth.
chart momentum
average
technical score 3 says the chart isn't flashing a special signal right now. After a huge move, that's a cooldown, not a thesis.
earnings predictability
40 / 100
40 / 100 predictability means estimates are more fragile here than at a typical large software name. Expect contract timing to matter.
source: institutional data
Institutional activity
262 buyers vs. 267 sellers in 3q2025. total institutional holdings: 26.1M shares.
source: institutional data
Price targets
3-5 year target range
$166
$481
$377
current price
$324
target midpoint · 14% from current · 3-5yr high: $605 (+60% · 13% ann'l return)
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