Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Stock Price Up 1.7% Following Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• Shares of Intel rose about 1.7% after Melius Research upgraded the stock from a hold to a buy and set a $50.00 price target.
• Intel unveiled the Core Ultra Series 3 and Panther Lake processors as the first consumer products on Intel 18A, and multiple OEM design wins at CES support optimism about its process roadmap and potential revenue upside.
• Analyst coverage remains mixed — MarketBeat shows an average rating of "Reduce" with a $35.88 average price target — while Intel posted a recent quarter with $0.23 EPS and a slight revenue beat, leaving valuation and near‑term execution as key investor concerns.

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC - Get Free Report) shot up 1.7% during trading on Tuesday after Melius upgraded the stock from a hold rating to a buy rating. Melius now has a $50.00 price target on the stock. Intel traded as high as $40.31 and last traded at $40.05. 65,988,235 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 23% from the average session volume of 85,946,289 shares. The stock had previously closed at $39.37.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Melius Research raised Intel from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $50.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Intel from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, September 13th. DZ Bank reaffirmed a "sell" rating on shares of Intel in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Intel from $25.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their target price on shares of Intel from $23.00 to $41.10 in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-four have given a Hold rating and eight have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $35.88.

Trending Headlines about Intel

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Intel officially unveiled the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 — billed as the first consumer platform built on Intel 18A — positioning the company to compete on next‑gen AI performance in laptops. CES 2026: Intel Core Ultra Series 3 Debuts as First Built on Intel 18A
• Positive Sentiment: Intel showcased Panther Lake processors (first chips on 18A) at CES and highlighted material performance uplifts vs prior generations — news that underpins optimism about Intel’s process roadmap and manufacturing credibility. Intel (INTC) Stock: CES 2026 Showcases First 18A Process Chips as Analysts Upgrade Shares
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple OEMs (Acer, ASUS, Advantech, HP partners) announced new laptops and edge devices using Intel Core Ultra Series 3, signalling early design wins and OEM adoption that help translate chip launches into shipments and revenue. Acer Introduces Aspire AI Copilot+ PCs Featuring Intel Core Ultra Series 3 Processors
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst upgrade from Melius Research to “buy” (with a ~$50 target) and other bullish takes are lifting sentiment, citing foundry and product-cycle upside as catalysts for further share gains. Analyst Upgrade: Melius Research Raises Intel to Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces and valuation checks note the rally has pushed momentum and prompted fresh attention — useful for flows but reminding investors to weigh valuation vs. near‑term execution. Intel (INTC) Valuation Check After Recent Share Price Momentum
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure from AMD’s recent gains in the gaming/PC market and ongoing CPU competition remain risks to market share and pricing power. AMD's Gamer Boom Signals Trouble For Intel
• Negative Sentiment: Notes of short‑term intraday volatility — headlines show the stock initially surged on CES news but gave up much of those gains — a reminder that investor reaction to product reveals can be choppy. Why Intel Stock Initially Surged Today but Has Given Up Most of Its Gains

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Intel

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of INTC. Insight Advisors LLC PA lifted its position in shares of Intel by 0.5% in the third quarter. Insight Advisors LLC PA now owns 58,521 shares of the chip maker's stock valued at $1,963,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. Lakeshore Capital Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Intel by 1.4% during the third quarter. Lakeshore Capital Group Inc. now owns 20,906 shares of the chip maker's stock worth $701,000 after purchasing an additional 279 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC raised its stake in Intel by 3.1% in the 3rd quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC now owns 9,750 shares of the chip maker's stock valued at $327,000 after purchasing an additional 290 shares during the last quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Intel by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC now owns 71,772 shares of the chip maker's stock valued at $2,408,000 after purchasing an additional 295 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Investors Research Corp raised its stake in Intel by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 40,597 shares of the chip maker's stock valued at $1,362,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.53% of the company's stock.

Intel Stock Up 1.7%

The company has a market cap of $191.32 billion, a PE ratio of 4,009.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 25.06 and a beta of 1.35. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $37.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $30.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The chip maker reported $0.23 earnings per share for the quarter. Intel had a net margin of 0.37% and a negative return on equity of 0.75%. The firm had revenue of $13.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.10 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted ($0.46) earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. Intel has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 0.080-0.080 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Intel Corporation will post -0.11 earnings per share for the current year.

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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