Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Shares Up 2.4% on Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• Intel shares rose 2.4% after Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded the stock from “market perform” to “outperform,” with shares reaching $95.39 during trading.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Intel has an average “Hold” rating and a consensus price target of $108.48, based on 50 analyst ratings.
• CEO Lip-Bu Tan purchased 105,263 shares worth approximately $10 million, while Intel’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, including $16.13 billion in revenue and $0.42 in earnings per share.

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC - Get Free Report)'s stock price rose 2.4% during mid-day trading on Monday after Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded the stock from a market perform rating to an outperform rating. The company traded as high as $95.39 and last traded at $92.03. 100,958,873 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 13% from the average daily volume of 116,312,461 shares. The stock had previously closed at $89.85.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. HSBC restated a "buy" rating on shares of Intel in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Daiwa Securities Group lowered shares of Intel from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. National Bank Financial set a $85.00 price objective on shares of Intel in a research note on Monday. Wedbush increased their price target on shares of Intel from $60.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of Intel in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. They issued an "outperform" rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, twenty-six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $108.48.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Lip Bu Tan purchased 105,263 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $95.00 per share, with a total value of $9,999,985.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,314,669 shares in the company, valued at $124,893,555. This represents a 8.70% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.05% of the company's stock.

Key Intel News

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan removed its bearish rating. Analyst Harlan Sur upgraded Intel from Underweight to Neutral, saying the risk-reward profile has become more balanced after the stock’s steep pullback. JPMorgan cited improving confidence in Intel’s manufacturing execution, chip design and turnaround prospects. Why a former Intel skeptic is giving up his negative call on the stock
• Positive Sentiment: Tesla reportedly agreed to use Intel’s upcoming 14A process. The potential foundry relationship gives Intel an important external customer for its advanced manufacturing business and supports the company’s strategy to expand beyond its own processors. Investors are also watching reported progress in output from Intel’s 18A node. Intel lands a major customer for its 14A foundry process
• Positive Sentiment: Chip stocks broadly rebounded. Intel, AMD and Micron recovered as investors bought semiconductor stocks following the sector’s worst losing stretch in years. Falling oil prices and expectations for major technology earnings also supported the broader market recovery. Micron and Intel lead chip recovery
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan’s $85 price target remains below the current market level. The upgrade reduces downside pressure from a Sell-equivalent rating, but the target indicates that the analyst does not yet see clear upside and remains cautious about Intel’s execution. Intel upgrade lifts chip stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Risks remain around Intel’s competitive position and capital needs. Intel has lost CPU market share, faces intense competition from AMD and other foundries, and has announced a substantial equity raise to fund factory expansion. Concerns about AI spending returns and data-center demand could also renew pressure on the stock if upcoming earnings disappoint.
• Neutral Sentiment: Speculation that Intel could benefit from proposed government payments under President Trump’s plans is highly uncertain and is not currently a fundamental earnings catalyst. Intel stock may factor into Trump’s payment plans

Institutional Trading of Intel

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. RWQ Financial Management Services Inc. increased its position in Intel by 110.7% during the third quarter. RWQ Financial Management Services Inc. now owns 76,565 shares of the chip maker's stock worth $9,205,000 after acquiring an additional 40,220 shares during the period. Cornell Pochily Investment Advisors Inc. grew its position in Intel by 12.8% in the 3rd quarter. Cornell Pochily Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 15,175 shares of the chip maker's stock worth $1,824,000 after purchasing an additional 1,718 shares during the last quarter. Herold Advisors Inc. grew its position in Intel by 5.3% in the 3rd quarter. Herold Advisors Inc. now owns 7,941 shares of the chip maker's stock worth $955,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Kaufman Rossin Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Intel by 26.8% during the 3rd quarter. Kaufman Rossin Wealth LLC now owns 7,023 shares of the chip maker's stock worth $844,000 after purchasing an additional 1,485 shares during the period. Finally, Foguth Wealth Management LLC. increased its holdings in shares of Intel by 20.7% during the 3rd quarter. Foguth Wealth Management LLC. now owns 6,208 shares of the chip maker's stock worth $746,000 after purchasing an additional 1,065 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.53% of the company's stock.

Intel Stock Performance

The firm's fifty day moving average price is $103.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $101.74. The company has a market cap of $464.20 billion, a P/E ratio of -43.62, a P/E/G ratio of 9.57 and a beta of 2.22. The company has a current ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The chip maker reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.21. Intel had a negative net margin of 19.79% and a positive return on equity of 2.62%. The business had revenue of $16.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.43 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned ($0.10) earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 25.2% on a year-over-year basis. Intel has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.380-0.380 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Intel Corporation will post 1.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Intel Company Profile

Intel Corporation NASDAQ: INTC is a global semiconductor company that designs and manufactures computing and connectivity products. Its portfolio includes Intel Core processors for personal computers, Xeon processors for data centers and enterprise systems, and products for networking, edge computing, graphics, and artificial intelligence workloads.

Through Intel Foundry, the company also provides semiconductor manufacturing and technology-development services for external customers. Intel develops process technologies, advanced packaging, and other manufacturing capabilities intended to support its own products and third-party chip designs.

Founded in 1968 by Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore, Intel helped establish the modern microprocessor industry and has historically supplied processors for PCs, servers, and other computing systems.

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