Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Trading 6.5% Higher Following Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• Intel shares rose 6.5% after BTIG Research upgraded the stock from neutral to buy, with the shares hitting as high as $127.60 on unusually heavy trading volume.
• Recent analyst commentary has turned more positive overall, including upgrades and higher price targets tied to Intel’s CPU turnaround, foundry growth, and AI infrastructure exposure.
• Intel’s latest earnings beat expectations, reporting $0.29 EPS and $13.58 billion in revenue versus analyst estimates, even though the company still guided only to break-even EPS for Q2 2026.

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC - Get Free Report)'s share price traded up 6.5% during trading on Friday after BTIG Research upgraded the stock from a neutral rating to a buy rating. The stock traded as high as $127.60 and last traded at $124.57. 148,352,966 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 22% from the average session volume of 121,380,992 shares. The stock had previously closed at $116.96.

INTC has been the topic of several other research reports. Northland Securities downgraded Intel from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Citigroup raised Intel from a "buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday. Arete Research upped their target price on Intel from $20.40 to $99.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Intel in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $80.00 price target on shares of Intel in a research report on Monday, May 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $87.31.

Insider Transactions at Intel

In related news, EVP Boise April Miller sold 40,256 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.53, for a total transaction of $4,006,679.68. Following 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.05% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Intel

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America’s rare double upgrade to Buy and higher $135 target strengthened investor confidence in Intel’s CPU and foundry turnaround. From Underperform to Buy. Here Is Why BofA Just Changed Its Mind on INTC.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted Intel’s growing exposure to AI infrastructure and foundry growth, suggesting the market may be underestimating its long-term earnings power. Intel Rises as Capital Raise Talk Builds
• Positive Sentiment: Intel is also being viewed as a national-security beneficiary, which could support policy-driven demand and strategic investment over time. Why Intel's National Security Role Could Reshape Its Long-Term Investment Case
• Neutral Sentiment: Some traders are watching whether the recent rally pauses after a very strong run, with a few articles framing the move as a possible short-term breather. What's Going On With Intel Stock Friday?
• Negative Sentiment: Not all commentary is bullish: some reports warn that Intel, like other chipmakers, could fall sharply if AI enthusiasm proves to be a bubble or broader semiconductor sentiment weakens. Nvidia vs. AMD vs. Intel: What If the Bears Are Right About Chip Stocks?

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Intel

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Demars Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Intel by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. Demars Financial Group LLC now owns 7,675 shares of the chip maker's stock valued at $339,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Human Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Intel by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Human Investing LLC now owns 14,525 shares of the chip maker's stock valued at $641,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Intel by 15.9% in the 1st quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 924 shares of the chip maker's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Intel by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 19,107 shares of the chip maker's stock valued at $843,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Signature Resources Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Intel by 21.5% in the 1st quarter. Signature Resources Capital Management LLC now owns 831 shares of the chip maker's stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.53% of the company's stock.

Intel Stock Performance

The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $93.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $61.12. The stock has a market cap of $626.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -200.92 and a beta of 2.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 1.85 and a current ratio of 2.31.

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