Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Shares Gap Up on Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• Intel shares gapped up after Citigroup upgraded the stock, opening well above the prior close and trading higher on heavy volume.
• Broader analyst sentiment remains mixed: several firms recently adjusted ratings and price targets, but MarketBeat says Intel’s overall rating is still Hold with an average target of $85.98.
• Recent optimism has been tied to AI and foundry growth, including reports that Intel could benefit from rising CPU demand and possibly win a major AI chip order from Google.

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC - Get Free Report)'s share price gapped up before the market opened on Thursday after Citigroup upgraded the stock from a buy rating to a buy rating. The stock had previously closed at $107.04, but opened at $113.52. Intel shares last traded at $118.0960, with a volume of 33,765,788 shares traded.

A number of other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Intel in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Melius Research set a $150.00 price target on shares of Intel in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Intel from $124.00 to $128.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, June 1st. Rosenblatt Securities upped their price objective on shares of Intel from $30.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners increased their price objective on shares of Intel from $65.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Intel has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $85.98.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Intel news, EVP Boise April Miller sold 40,256 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.53, for a total transaction of $4,006,679.68. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 105,077 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,458,313.81. The trade was a 27.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Intel News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America said Intel is better positioned to benefit from rising demand for CPUs tied to agentic AI, helping improve the company’s growth outlook. Intel stock jumps on BofA upgrade as AI demand fuels growth outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America also highlighted greater confidence in Intel’s server CPU opportunity and its foundry business, which could expand long-term revenue beyond traditional chip sales. Intel rallies as BofA double-upgrades stock on increased CPU, foundry visibility
• Positive Sentiment: Intel was also boosted by reports that Google may place a major AI chip order with Intel, reinforcing investor optimism around its foundry turnaround and AI manufacturing prospects. Intel Gains as Google Reportedly Eyes Major AI Chip Order
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analysis also argued that Intel’s foundry pivot is gaining credibility with hyperscale customers, which could create a more visible multiyear revenue pipeline. The Case for Intel Over Pure-Play Quantum Firms
• Neutral Sentiment: Intel has been the subject of a broad wave of analyst commentary and target changes, keeping the stock in focus but also adding volatility around valuation. Intel To Rally Around 26%? Here Are 10 Top Analyst Forecasts For Thursday
• Negative Sentiment: Some recent market coverage noted that Intel had been pressured by a tech selloff and profit-taking, showing that macro weakness can still weigh on the shares despite improving fundamentals. Why Is Intel Stock Sliding On Wednesday?

Institutional Trading of Intel

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Intel by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 404,522,308 shares of the chip maker's stock valued at $14,926,873,000 after buying an additional 13,692,624 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Intel by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 208,536,784 shares of the chip maker's stock worth $7,695,007,000 after acquiring an additional 5,714,400 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its stake in shares of Intel by 20.3% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 104,060,268 shares of the chip maker's stock worth $3,839,833,000 after acquiring an additional 17,557,147 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Intel by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 101,931,512 shares of the chip maker's stock worth $3,744,406,000 after acquiring an additional 3,124,798 shares during the period. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted its stake in shares of Intel by 20.4% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 65,249,269 shares of the chip maker's stock worth $2,407,698,000 after acquiring an additional 11,056,090 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 64.53% of the company's stock.

Intel Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $577.76 billion, a P/E ratio of -185.55 and a beta of 2.21. The company has a fifty day moving average of $92.19 and a 200 day moving average of $60.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 2.31 and a quick ratio of 1.85.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The chip maker reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.01 by $0.28. Intel had a negative net margin of 5.90% and a positive return on equity of 0.39%. The firm had revenue of $13.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.32 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.13 EPS. The company's revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Intel has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.200-0.200 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Intel Corporation will post 0.63 earnings per share for the current year.

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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