Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $998.99 EPS

Key Points

• Intel reported EPS of $999.00 for the quarter — a $998.99 beat versus the $0.01 consensus — even as the company still shows a negative net margin (-0.51%) and negative return on equity (-0.44%).
• Shares jumped to $66.78 on the print, valuing Intel at about $333.6 billion; the stock carries a negative P/E (-834.6) and the Street consensus remains a Hold with an average target of $54.86.
• Momentum is being driven by catalysts like Tesla selecting Intel’s 14A process and several analyst upgrades (HSBC raised its target to $95), but risks remain around foundry profitability and whether the rally is sustainable.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC - Get Free Report) announced its earnings results on Thursday. The chip maker reported $999.00 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.01 by $998.99, Zacks reports. Intel had a negative return on equity of 0.44% and a negative net margin of 0.51%.

Intel Stock Performance

NASDAQ:INTC traded up $1.51 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $66.78. The stock had a trading volume of 99,688,013 shares, compared to its average volume of 108,568,680. The stock has a market cap of $333.55 billion, a P/E ratio of -834.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 15.77 and a beta of 1.35. Intel has a 12-month low of $18.97 and a 12-month high of $70.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a current ratio of 2.02. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $49.99 and a 200 day simple moving average of $43.84.

Insider Activity

In other Intel news, EVP David Zinsner purchased 5,882 shares of Intel stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 26th. The shares were bought at an average price of $42.50 per share, for a total transaction of $249,985.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president directly owned 247,392 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,514,160. This trade represents a 2.44% increase 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 Boise April Miller sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.05, for a total value of $981,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 113,060 shares in the company, valued at $5,545,593. This trade represents a 15.03% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.05% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Intel

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Intel by 271.8% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 34,201 shares of the chip maker's stock worth $766,000 after purchasing an additional 25,001 shares in the last quarter. United Bank purchased a new position in shares of Intel during the second quarter valued at about $205,000. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lifted its holdings in shares of Intel by 12.3% in the 2nd quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 13,737 shares of the chip maker's stock valued at $308,000 after acquiring an additional 1,508 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Intel by 29.6% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 158,277 shares of the chip maker's stock valued at $3,545,000 after acquiring an additional 36,116 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Intel by 9.9% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 828,352 shares of the chip maker's stock valued at $18,556,000 after acquiring an additional 74,838 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.53% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. New Street Research upped their target price on Intel from $40.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. HSBC upgraded Intel from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their target price for the company from $50.00 to $95.00 in a research report on Tuesday. DZ Bank restated a "sell" rating on shares of Intel in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Intel in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities increased their price target on Intel from $25.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $54.86.

Trending Headlines about Intel

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Tesla confirmed it will use Intel’s 14A process for chips at its Terafab project, giving Intel a high‑profile foundry customer and validating Intel’s process roadmap. Tesla Picks Intel (INTC) to Build Its AI Chips — What It Means for Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple brokerages have moved to upgrade Intel or raise targets (HSBC, BNP Paribas, Stifel coverage noted), supporting the re‑rating thesis tied to server CPU demand and foundry progress. Why Intel Stock (INTC) Is Rising Today – and Why a Top Analyst Upgrades it to ‘Buy’
• Positive Sentiment: Commentators including Jim Cramer are calling Intel a comeback story and highlighting CPUs as a growing tailwind from the AI cycle, which supports momentum buying. Move Over, Nvidia: Why Jim Cramer Says the AI Boom Is Finally Hitting Intel
• Neutral Sentiment: Options traders and volatility models expect a sizable post‑earnings swing (roughly a ~10% implied move), pointing to amplified short‑term risk/reward around the Q1 print. Intel Will Report Q1 Earnings Tomorrow. Options Traders Expect a 9.87% Move in INTC Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street and the financial press are focused on tomorrow’s Q1 release — the print and, crucially, management guidance — which will likely determine whether the rally is sustainable. Intel to Report Earnings. The Focus Is on What Comes Next.
• Negative Sentiment: Several commentators and technical analysts warn the rally may be overstretched and vulnerable to a corrective “sell‑the‑news” reaction if earnings/guidance don’t materially beat elevated expectations. Bull v. Bear: Why INTC Might Need to "Promise the World" in Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Questions remain about foundry profitability and Intel’s ability to attract and scale external foundry customers beyond marquee wins — a structural risk if margins and cash flow from the foundry business lag expectations. 1 Big Reason Analysts are Divided on Intel

Intel Company Profile

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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