Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Stock Price Up 1.6% – What’s Next?

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) shares were up 1.6% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $46.97 and last traded at $46.88. Approximately 74,500,900 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 39% from the average daily volume of 121,978,570 shares. The stock had previously closed at $46.12.

Intel News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Intel announced a strategic collaboration with SambaNova to deliver high‑performance, cost‑efficient AI inference solutions — a tie-up that positions Intel in the fast‑growing agentic AI inference market and supports revenue upside from AI server demand. SambaNova Unveils Fastest Chip for Agentic AI, Collaborates with Intel, and Raises $350M+
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/coverage pieces and market commentary highlight Intel’s expanded AI inference push (new partnerships and product focus), which could drive incremental market share in multibillion‑dollar AI inference markets and help monetize Intel’s foundry and data‑center investments. Intel Expands AI Inference Capabilities: Will it Drive Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Volatility in INTC has created option strategy and tactical buying interest — some market commentators view current swings as a tactical opportunity given the company’s improving fundamentals and AI exposure. Intel Stock (INTC) Volatility Creates Tactical Options Discount
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro and sector pieces note that AI‑chip and inference markets are growing rapidly — this is a tailwind for all chip suppliers (including Intel), but competition and cycle timing remain key variables for near‑term revenue. Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chips Market Outlook, Growth, Industry Trends 2026-2035
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and features (e.g., Forbes) continue to debate the primary drivers that will move INTC long term — execution on process/foundry, AI product wins and capital allocation are repeatedly cited as determinative. What Will Move The Needle For Intel Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Investor concern rose after a senior foundry executive left for Qualcomm — the departure sparked headlines and an intra‑day sell‑off as it raises questions about execution and talent retention in Intel’s foundry push. Intel Stock (NASDAQ:INTC) Plunges After Key Figure Loss
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst consensus remains cautious (consensus “Reduce” on some aggregator reports), which can cap upside as coverage and ratings influence institutional flows. Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) Given Consensus Rating of “Reduce” by Analysts
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure from incumbents (notably Nvidia and others doubling down on CPUs/accelerators) is highlighted in sector coverage — investors price in tougher market share battles and margin pressure. Nvidia’s CEO prepares investors for a renewed battle with Intel, AMD

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Intel from $35.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on Intel from $50.00 to $48.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Northland Securities set a $54.00 target price on Intel in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Barclays set a $45.00 price target on Intel in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on Intel from $50.00 to $48.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-six have given a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Intel currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $45.74.

Intel Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a current ratio of 2.02. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $44.62 and a 200 day moving average of $37.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $227.82 billion, a P/E ratio of -570.05, a P/E/G ratio of 16.85 and a beta of 1.38.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The chip maker reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.08 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $13.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.37 billion. Intel had a negative return on equity of 0.44% and a negative net margin of 0.51%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.13 earnings per share. Intel has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.000-0.000 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Intel Corporation will post -0.11 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Intel news, EVP David Zinsner acquired 5,882 shares of Intel stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 26th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $42.50 per share, for a total transaction of $249,985.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 247,392 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,514,160. This represents a 2.44% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Boise April Miller sold 20,000 shares of the 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 directly owned 113,060 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,545,593. This trade represents a 15.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.04% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Financially Speaking Inc increased its stake in Intel by 69.2% during the 4th quarter. Financially Speaking Inc now owns 682 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 279 shares during the period. Legacy Bridge LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Intel during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Intel in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Swiss RE Ltd. acquired a new position in Intel in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new position in Intel during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.53% of the company’s stock.

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.