Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Upgraded by BofA to "Buy" Rating

Key Points

• BofA upgraded Intel to “Buy” from “Underperform” and lifted its price target to $135 from $96, implying about 17.5% upside from the current price.
• The upgrade reflects growing optimism that Intel can benefit from rising demand for AI-related CPUs, as well as improved visibility in its server chip and foundry businesses.
• Intel shares rose 7.3% to $114.86 after the note, and the stock has also been supported by recent analyst upgrades and positive expectations around its earnings and turnaround efforts.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC - Get Free Report) was upgraded by BofA from an "underperform" rating to a "buy" rating in a report issued on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has a $135.00 price objective on the chip maker's stock, up from their previous price objective of $96.00. BofA's price objective indicates a potential upside of 17.54% from the stock's current price.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Raymond James Financial upgraded Intel from a "hold" rating to a "moderate buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Freedom Capital upgraded Intel from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Intel from $35.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Scotiabank started coverage on shares of Intel in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. They issued a "sector perform" rating for the company. Finally, Benchmark raised their price target on shares of Intel from $105.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $87.31.

Intel Trading Up 7.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:INTC traded up $7.82 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $114.86. 54,097,759 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 119,824,773. The stock has a market cap of $577.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -186.31 and a beta of 2.21. Intel has a fifty-two week low of $18.97 and a fifty-two week high of $132.75. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $92.19 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $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 announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The chip maker reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.01 by $0.28. The company had revenue of $13.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.32 billion. Intel had a negative net margin of 5.90% and a positive return on equity of 0.39%. Intel's revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.13 earnings per share. Intel has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.200-0.200 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Intel will post 0.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Intel

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 stock was sold at an average price of $99.53, for a total value of $4,006,679.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 105,077 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,458,313.81. The trade was a 27.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.05% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Intel

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Financially Speaking Inc increased its holdings in shares of Intel by 69.2% in the fourth quarter. Financially Speaking Inc now owns 682 shares of the chip maker's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 279 shares during the period. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in Intel in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Legacy Bridge LLC acquired a new position in Intel in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Intel during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Swiss RE Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Intel in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. 64.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Intel

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?

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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