Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Stock Price Up 10.6% - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Intel shares jumped 10.6% in mid-day trading, hitting an intraday high of $135.48 as volume surged well above normal. The move reflects a sharp burst of investor interest in the stock.
• Sentiment improved after reports that Apple may work with Intel on U.S. chip design/manufacturing, which would be a major endorsement of Intel’s foundry strategy. Intel also said its 18A-P process entered risk production, signaling progress in its manufacturing turnaround.
• Despite the rally, some analysts warn that expectations may be running ahead of fundamentals. Intel’s valuation has risen quickly, and the Apple deal has not yet been confirmed in company filings.

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC - Get Free Report)'s share price traded up 10.6% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $135.48 and last traded at $133.99. 230,234,505 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 88% from the average session volume of 122,459,820 shares. The stock had previously closed at $121.10.

Intel News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Trump said Apple agreed to work with Intel to design and build chips in America, which could be a major validation of Intel’s foundry strategy. Reuters: Trump says Apple to work with Intel to manufacture chips in US
• Positive Sentiment: Intel’s 18A-P process entered risk production, signaling manufacturing progress and raising hopes that the company can attract external customers. Reuters: Intel's new manufacturing tech enters initial production
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators have turned more constructive on Intel as AI-driven CPU demand and foundry momentum improve the outlook for the stock. CNBC: Intel rises 9% after Trump says company will partner with Apple on U.S. chip design
• Neutral Sentiment: Intel’s big rally has pushed the stock to fresh highs, which may leave valuation questions if investors start pricing in execution before the Apple deal is confirmed in company filings.
• Negative Sentiment: Some market coverage notes that Intel is being valued like stronger rivals such as AMD or TSMC even though its turnaround is still in progress, suggesting expectations may be running ahead of fundamentals. Invezz: Intel stock is being valued as AMD or TSMC - but its neither yet

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on INTC. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Intel from $65.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Intel from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Raymond James Financial upgraded Intel from a "hold" rating to a "moderate buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. KGI Securities lowered Intel from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $71.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Bank of America upgraded shares of Intel from an "underperform" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $96.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $87.09.

Intel Trading Up 10.6%

The company has a current ratio of 2.31, a quick ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The company has a market cap of $673.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -216.11 and a beta of 2.21. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $99.46 and a 200 day moving average price of $63.55.

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

Insider Activity at Intel

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Intel

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Southern Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Intel by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Southern Financial Group LLC now owns 14,313 shares of the chip maker's stock worth $632,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Demars Financial Group LLC grew its stake in Intel by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Demars Financial Group LLC now owns 7,675 shares of the chip maker's stock worth $339,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Human Investing LLC increased its position in Intel by 0.9% in the first quarter. Human Investing LLC now owns 14,525 shares of the chip maker's stock worth $641,000 after buying an additional 126 shares during the period. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. increased its position in Intel by 15.9% in the first quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 924 shares of the chip maker's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 127 shares during the period. Finally, Angeles Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Intel by 0.7% in the first quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 19,107 shares of the chip maker's stock valued at $843,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 64.53% of the company's stock.

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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