Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Earns Neutral Rating from Sanford C. Bernstein

Key Points

• Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a neutral rating on Intel while several firms (Roth MKM, Morgan Stanley, HSBC) upgraded coverage or raised targets; consensus remains a Hold with an average price target of $70.98.
• Intel delivered a Q1 beat (EPS $0.29 vs ~$0.01 expected; $13.58B revenue), issued stronger-than-expected guidance, and shares jumped ~22.8% to $82—buoyed by AI-driven server demand and Tesla's validation of Intel's 14A foundry process.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "neutral" rating restated by equities research analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein in a note issued to investors on Friday,MarketScreener reports.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Roth Mkm upgraded shares of Intel from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $100.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Intel from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on Intel from $45.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday. HSBC raised Intel from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price target for the company from $50.00 to $95.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Intel from $45.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-four have given a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $70.98.

Intel Trading Up 22.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:INTC traded up $15.24 during trading on Friday, reaching $82.02. 77,648,472 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 108,423,625. The firm has a market capitalization of $409.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1,020.17, a P/E/G ratio of 14.44 and a beta of 1.35. Intel has a 52-week low of $18.97 and a 52-week high of $85.22. The company has a current ratio of 2.02, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The business's fifty day moving average is $50.39 and its 200-day moving average is $44.00.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The chip maker reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.01 by $0.28. Intel had a negative net margin of 0.51% and a negative return on equity of 0.44%. The company had revenue of $13.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.32 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.13 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Intel has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.200-0.200 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Intel will post 0.08 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Intel

In related news, EVP Boise April Miller sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.05, for a total value of $981,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 113,060 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,545,593. This represents a 15.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP David Zinsner acquired 5,882 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, January 26th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $42.50 per share, for a total transaction of $249,985.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 247,392 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,514,160. This represents a 2.44% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.05% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Intel

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Financially Speaking Inc lifted its position in Intel by 69.2% during the fourth quarter. Financially Speaking Inc now owns 682 shares of the chip maker's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 279 shares during the period. Legacy Bridge LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Intel in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Intel in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Swiss RE Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Intel in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Osbon Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Intel during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. 64.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Intel

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Blowout Q1 results and stronger-than-expected guidance: Intel reported $0.29 EPS vs ~$0.01 expected and $13.6B revenue (beat). Q2 revenue guidance of $13.8–$14.8B and EPS guidance above Street estimates signaled durable AI-driven server-chip demand and underpins the rally. Intel set for record high — Reuters
• Positive Sentiment: Tesla / 14A foundry validation: Elon Musk said Tesla will use Intel’s 14A process for its Terafab AI chips — a high-profile external customer that improves Intel’s foundry credibility and future revenue optionality. Musk lays out Terafab — Reuters
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street turns more constructive: Several top analysts raised price targets and coverage became more bullish after the quarter, helping sustain momentum in pre-market and futures trading. Analysts raise targets — TipRanks
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector and index flow: Intel’s report boosted semiconductor ETFs and tech futures, lifting peers (AMD, Arm) in sympathy; that broad market dynamic is supporting the stock but may limit standalone moves. ETF/sector lift — Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor debate on sustainability of gains: commentary ranges from believers (CPU “renaissance” driven by AI) to skeptics who say the rally has priced in a lot of the upside; expect volatility as investors reprice execution and foundry margins. Are expectations too high? — MarketWatch
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and lingering sell-side skepticism: some firms (e.g., Rosenblatt) raised price targets but kept bearish ratings; concerns persist about whether foundry economics and long-term margins will meet current valuations. Rosenblatt target/rating — Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Macro and geopolitical risk: ongoing Middle East uncertainty and elevated oil prices are cited as potential drags on broader market sentiment — these factors could cap gains even as Intel-specific news is strong. Market context — Investopedia

About Intel

Intel Corporation, founded in 1968 by Robert Noyce and Gordon E. Moore and headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is a leading global designer and manufacturer of semiconductor products. The company is historically notable for introducing the first commercial microprocessor and for driving the x86 architecture that underpins many personal computers and servers. Intel's core business spans the design, fabrication and marketing of processors, chipsets and related components for a wide range of computing applications.

Intel's product portfolio includes client and mobile processors marketed under brands such as Intel Core and Pentium, as well as high-performance Xeon processors for data centers and cloud infrastructure.

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