Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.07 EPS

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The chip maker reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.08 by $0.07, FiscalAI reports. Intel had a net margin of 0.37% and a negative return on equity of 0.75%. The company had revenue of $13.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.13 EPS. Intel’s quarterly revenue was down 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Intel updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 0.000-0.000 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Intel’s conference call:

• Q4 results beat guidance with $13.7B revenue, non‑GAAP gross margin of 37.9%, EPS of $0.15, $4.3B operating cash flow, and the NVIDIA $5B investment closing in Q4.
• Management says internal supply constraints and depleted buffer inventory will make Q1 soft (guidance $11.7–$12.7B, midpoint $12.2B) as Intel prioritizes server wafers over client, with improvement expected beginning in Q2.
• Manufacturing momentum — Intel is shipping 18A wafers and launched Core Ultra Series 3 (three SKUs) with improving yields, and Intel Foundry reported key 18A/14A PDK milestones and active external customer engagements toward H2 2026/H1 2027 supplier decisions.
• Strategic refocus on AI and data center — leadership centralized for DCAI, server roadmap simplified to prioritize 16‑channel Diamond Rapids and accelerated Coral Rapids, plus increased emphasis on ASICs and advanced packaging, while 2026 targets include ~$16B OpEx and flat‑to‑slightly‑down CapEx with more front‑loaded tool spending.

Intel Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:INTC opened at $54.32 on Friday. Intel has a 12 month low of $17.67 and a 12 month high of $54.60. The company has a current ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The stock has a market cap of $259.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 5,437.44, a P/E/G ratio of 34.51 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a 50 day moving average of $40.04 and a 200 day moving average of $32.79.

Intel News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Beat on Q4 results — Intel topped consensus on both EPS ($0.15) and revenue (~$13.7B), demonstrating demand strength (notably in data‑center/server chips). Intel Reports Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — Several firms raised price targets or reiterated coverage (Jefferies, UBS, HSBC among them), reflecting confidence in AI/server demand and Intel’s turnaround potential even where ratings remain cautious. Intel: Near-Term Earnings Constraints Balance Long-Term Foundry Upside, Supporting Hold Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Long‑term foundry and AI upside vs. capital discipline — Management emphasizes prioritizing manufacturing efficiency and disciplined capex rather than an aggressive capacity buildout, which supports margin control but slows potential near‑term revenue expansion. Intel Won’t Rush Costly Chip Capacity Buildout Despite AI Boom
• Negative Sentiment: Soft Q1 guidance — Intel guided Q1 revenue and profit below Street estimates (Q1 revenue range below consensus midpoint; EPS guidance short), citing supply constraints that limit its ability to fulfill strong demand. This is the main driver of recent weakness. Intel forecasts first-quarter sales and profit below estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction and supply risk — The guidance and comments about constrained supply triggered after‑hours selling and analyst caution; investors should watch management updates on supply improvements (timing expected Q2+) and margin guidance. Intel stock falls after company offers soft first-quarter guidance

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have issued reports on INTC shares. Barclays set a $45.00 target price on Intel in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Bank of America reissued an “underperform” rating and issued a $34.00 price objective on shares of Intel in a report on Monday, October 13th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of Intel from $21.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Intel in a research report on Friday. Finally, HSBC raised shares of Intel from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $26.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $42.29.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Intel

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in INTC. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Intel by 271.8% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 34,201 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $766,000 after buying an additional 25,001 shares during the last quarter. United Bank purchased a new stake in Intel during the second quarter valued at about $205,000. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lifted its stake in Intel by 12.3% during the second quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 13,737 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $308,000 after purchasing an additional 1,508 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Intel by 29.6% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 158,277 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $3,545,000 after purchasing an additional 36,116 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Intel by 9.9% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 828,352 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $18,556,000 after purchasing an additional 74,838 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.53% of the company’s stock.

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.