NEW YORK, Nov 7 — Qualcomm Inc forecast current-quarter profit above Wall Street expectations and beat estimates for fourth-quarter revenue from its closely watched licensing business, sending its shares up 5 per cent in extended trading.

The world's biggest supplier of mobile phone chips expects between 1.75 billion and 1.85 billion smart devices with modem chips, including 175 million to 225 million 5G handsets, to be sold in 2020.

As Qualcomm collects licence fees on devices that use cellular connections to wireless data networks, more total devices sold often results in higher revenue and profits for the company.

The results come a week after Apple Inc calmed Wall Street nerves with an improvement in sales in China, the world's largest smartphones market, and follow strong earnings from chipmaker Intel Corp last month.

Qualcomm, which generates most of its profits by licensing its technology to mobile phone makers and others, said revenue in the segment was US$1.16 billion (RM4.8 bilion), beating estimates of US$1.10 billion, according to FactSet.

Excluding items, the company earned 78 US cents per share, topping analysts' average estimate of 71 cents.

Revenue in the fourth-quarter fell about 17 per cent to US$4.81 billion, but beat analysts' estimates of US$4.70 billion.

The company expects first-quarter adjusted profit of US$1.20 per share, above estimates of 83 cents, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. — Reuters