Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Stock Price Up 6.5% – Time to Buy?

09 Jan 2026, 22:08 by Doug Wharley · The Cerbat Gem

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC – Get Free Report) was up 6.5% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $44.57 and last traded at $42.63. Approximately 164,903,524 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 56% from the average daily volume of 105,708,031 shares. The stock had previously closed at $40.04.

Intel News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

Positive Sentiment: President Trump publicly praised Intel and its CEO after a White House meeting, highlighting the U.S. government’s stake; the comment lifted investor sentiment for Intel and other semiconductors. Intel stock jumps after CEO meets with Trump
Positive Sentiment: CES 2026 product unveiling (Core Ultra Series 3 / “Panther Lake”) and Intel’s first shipments on its 18A process are driving optimism that Intel’s foundry and client CPU turnaround is real — investors view concrete product execution as proof that the company’s roadmap can deliver. Intel “…Showed Up for the Consumers” At CES 2026
Positive Sentiment: News of a partnership/announced cooperation with NVIDIA and broader industry endorsement (including reported external investments backing Intel) is reinforcing the narrative that Intel is plugging into the AI compute ecosystem. Intel Rallied Following the Partnership Announcement with NVIDIA
Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high call‑option volume and heavy retail/institutional buying show traders are positioning for further upside, which can amplify intraday moves but also raises short‑term volatility risk. Investors Purchase High Volume of Call Options on Intel
Neutral Sentiment: Intel has scheduled its Q4 and full‑year 2025 earnings release, a near‑term catalyst that could confirm whether recent demand and margin trends hold. Intel to Report Fourth‑Quarter and Full‑Year 2025 Financial Results
Negative Sentiment: Some sell‑side signals remain mixed: Zacks cut Q4/FY2027 EPS estimates and aggregate brokerage coverage still includes cautious or “reduce” recommendations — reminders that longer‑term profitability and execution risks remain. MarketBeat Intel coverage (Zacks estimates referenced)
Negative Sentiment: Despite recent gains, some analysts warn the rally is priced for a successful turnaround; any earnings miss or slower-than-expected adoption of new chips/foundry wins could trigger a pullback. Brokerages Issue Mixed Recommendations on Intel

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on INTC. Hsbc Global Res cut Intel from a “hold” rating to a “moderate sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Bank of America reiterated an “underperform” rating and set a $34.00 price objective on shares of Intel in a research report on Monday, October 13th. Benchmark upped their target price on shares of Intel from $43.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Northland Securities raised their target price on shares of Intel from $28.00 to $42.00 in a research note on Friday, September 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Intel from $23.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Hold rating and eight have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $35.88.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Intel

Intel Stock Up 10.8%

The firm has a market cap of $217.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 4,559.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 26.16 and a beta of 1.35. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $38.06 and its 200 day simple moving average is $31.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 1.25.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The chip maker reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Intel had a net margin of 0.37% and a negative return on equity of 0.75%. The firm had revenue of $13.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.10 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($0.46) EPS. The business’s revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Intel has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 0.080-0.080 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Intel Corporation will post -0.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Intel

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of INTC. West Branch Capital LLC bought a new stake in Intel in the second quarter worth $28,000. Investors Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych Spolka Akcyjna bought a new stake in shares of Intel in the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new stake in shares of Intel in the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Eukles Asset Management boosted its stake in shares of Intel by 55.6% during the 2nd quarter. Eukles Asset Management now owns 1,400 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. Finally, Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Intel by 89.2% during the 3rd quarter. Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 946 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 446 shares during the last quarter. 64.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Intel Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.