(RTTNews) - Wednesday, Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) reported a decline in its fourth quarter profit, as revenues fell 19%, reflecting poor segmental results. In addition, the company issued financial outlook for its first quarter as well as full year.

The San Diego, California-based company reported net income for the fourth quarter was $803 million, down 9% from $878 million in the same quarter last year. On per share basis, net income declined 8% to $0.48 from $0.52 in the year-ago quarter.

Net income for the most recent quarter included a $230 million charge, or $0.14 loss per share, related to an estimated fine expected to be levied by the Korea Fair Trade Commission, and a $560 million in revenues, or $0.20 earnings per share, as a result of the execution of license and settlement agreements with Nokia Corporation/Nokia Inc. The results also reflect a $155 million tax benefit, or $0.09 earnings per share, related to prior years as a result of tax audits.

Pro forma net income for the quarter fell to $811 million or $0.48 per share from $1.06 billion or $0.63 per share in the fourth quarter of 2008.

On average, twenty five analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to earn $0.52 per share for the quarter. Analysts estimates typically exclude special items.

Revenues for the quarter decreased 19% to $2.69 billion from $3.33 billion in the prior-year quarter. Twenty eight analysts had a revenue $2.72 billion for the fourth quarter.

In the sequentially preceding third-quarter, the company's net income was $903 million or $0.54 per share, compared to $915 million or $0.55 per share in the prior year quarter. Revenues for the quarter dropped to $2.75 billion from $2.76 billion in the prior quarter.

Amongst others in the industry, Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN), the world's second largest maker of mobile phone chips, posted a drop in its third-quarter profit to $538 million or $0.42 per share, and revenues fell 15% to $2.88 billion.

Another peer, Irvine, California-based chip maker Broadcom Corp. (BRCM) reported a sharp decline in third quarter profit to $84.6 million or $0.16 per share from $164.9 million or $0.31 per share in the year-ago quarter. Revenues for the quarter decreased 3.4% to $1.25 billion from $1.30 billion in the prior-year quarter.

Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) reported a decline in its first-quarter profit to $1.8 billion or $0.30 per share, with 17% decline in sales, totaling $7.20 billion.

Qualcomm's QCT segment posted revenues of $1.70 billion in the recent fourth quarter, down 4% from last year. The segment's pre-tax earnings for the quarter were $508 million, up 13% from the year-ago period.

The QTL segment generated revenues of $837 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009, down 39% from the year-ago quarter. The segment's pre-tax earnings totaled $693 million, down 44% from the year-ago quarter.

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