Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Receives “Neutral” Rating from Sanford C. Bernstein

Posted by Shane Hupp on Feb 17th, 2026

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC – Get Free Report)‘s stock had its “neutral” rating reissued by research analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein in a research report issued on Tuesday,MarketScreener reports.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on INTC. Daiwa Securities Group lifted their target price on Intel from $41.00 to $50.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on Intel from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Tigress Financial restated a “buy” rating and set a $66.00 price objective on shares of Intel in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Melius Research upgraded Intel from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $50.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Benchmark upped their price target on shares of Intel from $50.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-six have assigned a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Intel presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $45.74.

Get Our Latest Analysis on INTC

Intel Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ INTC opened at $46.79 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.02, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The company has a market capitalization of $233.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -584.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 16.90 and a beta of 1.38. Intel has a twelve month low of $17.67 and a twelve month high of $54.60. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $43.31 and a 200-day simple moving average of $35.93.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 22nd. The chip maker reported $0.15 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.08 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $13.67 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.37 billion. Intel had a negative net margin of 0.51% and a negative return on equity of 0.44%. The firm’s revenue was down 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.13 earnings per share. Intel has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.000-0.000 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Intel will post -0.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP David Zinsner acquired 5,882 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 26th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $42.50 per share, for a total transaction of $249,985.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the executive vice president directly owned 247,392 shares in the company, valued at $10,514,160. This represents a 2.44% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Boise April Miller sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.05, for a total value of $981,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 113,060 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,545,593. This represents a 15.03% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Intel

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Financially Speaking Inc raised its holdings in Intel by 69.2% during the 4th quarter. Financially Speaking Inc now owns 682 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 279 shares during the period. Legacy Bridge LLC purchased a new position in shares of Intel in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Investors Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych Spolka Akcyjna acquired a new stake in shares of Intel during the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new stake in shares of Intel in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Raleigh Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Intel in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. 64.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Intel

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

Positive Sentiment: Some bullish coverage highlights Intel as a comeback/AI play with real operational progress that could justify upside if execution continues; this supports investor interest in INTC as a recovery/AI exposure trade. Is Intel (INTC) One of the Best AI Stocks Skyrocketing?
Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson initiated coverage with a Neutral rating and a ~$45 price target, calling for a “show?me” period — meaning future results and execution (not hype) will drive returns; this is a gating factor for the stock. Intel (INTC) Faces ‘Show?Me’ Reset as DA Davidson Initiates Neutral Rating
Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and sector writeups show a split in chip stocks this week — foundries and equipment outperformed while chip designers (including Intel) lagged; that sector rotation can pressure INTC near?term even if longer?term AI demand helps. Chip Stocks Split: AMAT and TSMC Gain While NVDA and Intel Retreat
Neutral Sentiment: Zacks’ comparison ranks IBM ahead of Intel for AI exposure and valuation today, signaling some investors may prefer alternative AI/hybrid?cloud names over INTC until margins and growth are clearer. IBM vs. Intel: Which AI?Focused Stock Is the Better Buy Today?
Negative Sentiment: Corporate fundamentals remain a concern: coverage revisiting Intel’s 2025 loss and execution hurdles argues the stock’s rally has outpaced operational recovery, which raises downside risk if guidance and margins disappoint. Intel Lost Money Again in 2025. Here’s Why — and What It Means for the Stock
Negative Sentiment: Risk narratives comparing Intel to past “hype?then?pullback” stories (a possible “Peloton moment”) warn that investor optimism could reverse sharply if product cycles or demand miss expectations. Is Intel About to Have a “Peloton Moment”?

About Intel

(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.

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.