Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Shares Up 7.4% – Here’s What Happened

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)’s share price shot up 7.4% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $121.94 and last traded at $118.96. 162,241,701 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 34% from the average session volume of 120,700,172 shares. The stock had previously closed at $110.80.

Key Intel News

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Intel is benefiting from a broader chip rally ahead of Nvidia’s earnings, with traders rotating back into semiconductors as AI enthusiasm lifts the group. Resurging Chips Rally Gives Intel Stock (NASDAQ:INTC) a Second Wind
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Intel may be in early acquisition talks with AI-chip startup Tenstorrent are adding to optimism that the company is deepening its AI strategy and expanding its talent and product pipeline. Intel shares rise on reports of Tenstorrent acquisition talks
• Positive Sentiment: Wedbush said Intel is pushing PC makers toward its latest chips, which investors read as a sign the company is protecting margins while driving adoption of newer products. Intel Pushes PC Makers Toward Latest Chips, Wedbush Says
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and media commentary has also highlighted Intel’s turnaround, with higher price targets and upbeat views on its foundry and AI opportunities supporting the stock. Citi resets Intel stock price target for the rest of 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan said the company is building a “new Intel” with faster decision-making and flatter management, reinforcing the turnaround narrative but offering no immediate financial update. Intel CEO Is Building A ‘New Intel’ That Works At ‘Speed Of Light’
• Neutral Sentiment: Samsung’s new enterprise laptop using Intel Core Ultra processors adds visibility for Intel’s product lineup, though it is more of a commercial validation than a major new revenue driver on its own. Galaxy Book6 Enterprise Edition Extends Connected Galaxy Experience to Enterprise IT Environments, Powered by Intel Core Ultra Processors

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on INTC. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Intel from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Intel in a report on Friday, April 24th. Susquehanna increased their price objective on shares of Intel from $65.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Northland Securities increased their price objective on shares of Intel from $54.00 to $92.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Intel from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $81.52.

Intel Stock Up 7.4%

The stock has a market capitalization of $597.89 billion, a P/E ratio of -191.87 and a beta of 2.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 2.31 and a quick ratio of 1.85. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $70.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $51.87.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The chip maker reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.01 by $0.28. The firm had revenue of $13.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.32 billion. Intel had a negative net margin of 5.90% and a positive return on equity of 0.39%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.13 earnings per share. Intel has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.200-0.200 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Intel Corporation will post 0.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Boise April Miller sold 40,256 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.53, for a total transaction of $4,006,679.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 105,077 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,458,313.81. This trade represents a 27.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Intel

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in shares of Intel in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Financially Speaking Inc lifted its position in shares of Intel by 69.2% in the 4th quarter. Financially Speaking Inc now owns 682 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 279 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Intel in the 4th 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. Finally, Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Intel in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 64.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.