Wells Fargo & Company Boosts Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Price Target to $85.00

Key Points

• Wells Fargo raised its price target on Intel to $85.00 (from $55) while maintaining an "equal weight" rating, implying roughly a 3.6% upside from the prior close.
• Intel posted a blowout Q1—$0.29 EPS vs ~$0.01 expected and stronger revenue and Q2 guidance—which, together with multiple analyst target increases, pushed the stock to about $82 on heavy volume.
• Elon Musk said Tesla will use Intel's 14A process for Terafab AI chips, a high-profile foundry validation that strengthens Intel's foundry credibility and potential revenue upside.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC - Get Free Report) had its price objective lifted by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $55.00 to $85.00 in a report issued on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has an "equal weight" rating on the chip maker's stock. Wells Fargo & Company's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 3.64% from the stock's previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on INTC. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Intel from $56.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday. UBS Group set a $51.00 price target on shares of Intel in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Intel in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Daiwa Securities Group upped their price objective on Intel from $41.00 to $50.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Intel from $45.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $70.98.

Intel Price Performance

Shares of INTC traded up $15.24 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $82.02. 77,648,472 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 108,423,625. The company has a quick ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Intel has a 52-week low of $18.97 and a 52-week high of $85.22. The company has a market cap of $409.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1,020.17, a PEG ratio of 14.44 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $50.39 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $44.00.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The chip maker reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.01 by $0.28. Intel had a negative net margin of 0.51% and a negative return on equity of 0.44%. The company had revenue of $13.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.32 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.13 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Intel has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.200-0.200 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Intel will post 0.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP David Zinsner bought 5,882 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 26th. The stock was bought at an average price of $42.50 per share, with a total value of $249,985.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 247,392 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,514,160. This trade represents a 2.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Boise April Miller sold 20,000 shares of Intel stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.05, for a total value of $981,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 113,060 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,545,593. The trade was a 15.03% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Financially Speaking Inc increased its holdings in shares of Intel by 69.2% in the 4th quarter. Financially Speaking Inc now owns 682 shares of the chip maker's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 279 shares during the period. Legacy Bridge LLC acquired a new position in Intel during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Intel during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Swiss RE Ltd. bought a new position in Intel in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Osbon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Intel in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.53% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Intel

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Blowout Q1 results and stronger-than-expected guidance: Intel reported $0.29 EPS vs ~$0.01 expected and $13.6B revenue (beat). Q2 revenue guidance of $13.8–$14.8B and EPS guidance above Street estimates signaled durable AI-driven server-chip demand and underpins the rally. Intel set for record high — Reuters
• Positive Sentiment: Tesla / 14A foundry validation: Elon Musk said Tesla will use Intel’s 14A process for its Terafab AI chips — a high-profile external customer that improves Intel’s foundry credibility and future revenue optionality. Musk lays out Terafab — Reuters
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street turns more constructive: Several top analysts raised price targets and coverage became more bullish after the quarter, helping sustain momentum in pre-market and futures trading. Analysts raise targets — TipRanks
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector and index flow: Intel’s report boosted semiconductor ETFs and tech futures, lifting peers (AMD, Arm) in sympathy; that broad market dynamic is supporting the stock but may limit standalone moves. ETF/sector lift — Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor debate on sustainability of gains: commentary ranges from believers (CPU “renaissance” driven by AI) to skeptics who say the rally has priced in a lot of the upside; expect volatility as investors reprice execution and foundry margins. Are expectations too high? — MarketWatch
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and lingering sell-side skepticism: some firms (e.g., Rosenblatt) raised price targets but kept bearish ratings; concerns persist about whether foundry economics and long-term margins will meet current valuations. Rosenblatt target/rating — Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Macro and geopolitical risk: ongoing Middle East uncertainty and elevated oil prices are cited as potential drags on broader market sentiment — these factors could cap gains even as Intel-specific news is strong. Market context — Investopedia

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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