Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Shares Up 3.1% - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Intel shares rose 3.1% on Tuesday, with the stock trading as high as $125.62 amid heavy volume, though still below its prior close. The move came as investors reacted to improving sentiment around the chipmaker.
• Bullish catalysts included reports of White House support and possible foundry deals with major names like Apple, Nvidia, and SpaceX, along with optimism around Intel’s 14A process and CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s turnaround efforts. Broader semiconductor strength and AI enthusiasm also lifted the stock.
• Despite the rally, risks remain: Wall Street still has a consensus rating of “Hold,” and some analysts warn that valuation is stretched and Intel’s foundry comeback is not yet proven versus rivals like TSMC.

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC - Get Free Report)'s share price shot up 3.1% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $125.62 and last traded at $123.52. 107,270,059 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 11% from the average session volume of 120,030,188 shares. The stock had previously closed at $119.84.

More Intel News

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Intel is getting a boost from reports that the White House is backing the company and that it could potentially land foundry deals with major names like Apple, Nvidia, and SpaceX, which would strengthen its growth story. What's Going On With Intel Stock Tuesday?
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Intel’s improved momentum under CEO Lip-Bu Tan and its 14A process progress suggests the market is increasingly focused on a multi-year turnaround and manufacturing comeback. “Risk Production Phase By 2028”: Intel Stock NASDAQ: INTC Gains as 14A Gets Closer
• Positive Sentiment: Broader semiconductor strength also helped sentiment, with chip stocks rallying and Intel trading alongside names like AMD and Micron on renewed AI enthusiasm. Why Qualcomm, AMD, Intel, other AI stocks are surging sharply on Tuesday
• Neutral Sentiment: Several commentaries continue to frame Intel as a strong comeback trade after its earnings beat, but these pieces are mostly opinion-driven and do not add fresh fundamental detail. Intel Urges PC Makers to Switch to Its Latest Chips Amid AI Demand. This Could Be the Margin Boost INTC Stock Needs.
• Negative Sentiment: At the same time, Intel faced a Wall Street downgrade over valuation concerns, reminding investors that the stock’s sharp rally may leave it vulnerable to pullbacks if execution slows. Intel (INTC) stock hit with major Wall Street downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Additional analyst commentary argued Intel still trails TSMC in the foundry race, reinforcing concerns that the long-term turnaround is not yet proven. Why Intel Still Trails TSMC In The High Stakes Foundry Race

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

INTC has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Melius Research set a $150.00 price target on Intel in a report on Monday, May 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Intel from $35.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Intel from $45.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. KGI Securities lowered shares of Intel from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $71.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Intel from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, twenty-six have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Intel currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $81.52.

Intel Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $620.81 billion, a P/E ratio of -199.22 and a beta of 2.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 1.85 and a current ratio of 2.31. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $75.94 and a 200 day moving average price of $54.13.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The chip maker reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.01 by $0.28. Intel had a positive return on equity of 0.39% and a negative net margin of 5.90%.The company had revenue of $13.58 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.32 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.13 EPS. Intel's quarterly 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. On average, analysts expect that Intel Corporation will post 0.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Boise April Miller sold 40,256 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 105,077 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,458,313.81. This trade represents a 27.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.05% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Intel

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Intel during the 1st quarter valued at about $178,000. Summitry LLC purchased a new position in Intel in the 1st quarter worth approximately $308,000. Wellington Grp LLC lifted its position in Intel by 20.2% in the first quarter. Wellington Grp LLC now owns 906 shares of the chip maker's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. Vestor Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Intel during the first quarter valued at approximately $9,441,000. Finally, Leigh Baldwin & CO. LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Intel during the first quarter valued at approximately $210,000. 64.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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