Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Shares Gap Up on Analyst Upgrade

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) shares gapped up prior to trading on Wednesday after Tigress Financial raised their price target on the stock from $118.00 to $145.00. The stock had previously closed at $97.14, but opened at $101.37. Tigress Financial currently has a buy rating on the stock. Intel shares last traded at $101.7320, with a volume of 29,452,357 shares traded.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on INTC. Zacks Research cut shares of Intel from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Intel from $160.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Intel in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Intel in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Pivotal Research assumed coverage on Intel in a research note on Tuesday, September 8th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, twenty-eight have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $108.49.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Lip Bu Tan acquired 105,263 shares of Intel stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $95.00 per share, with a total value of $9,999,985.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,314,669 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $124,893,555. This trade represents a 8.70% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Intel

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Potential SK Hynix manufacturing deal: Reuters reported that SK Hynix may lease or partner with Intel to manufacture memory chips in the United States for the first time. The arrangement could improve utilization of Intel’s delayed Ohio facility, generate foundry revenue and position Intel to benefit from strong AI-related memory demand. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: Foundry turnaround hopes: Investors view the talks as evidence that Intel’s manufacturing assets could attract outside chip volume, addressing a central question in the company’s turnaround. The memory opportunity is especially notable because demand for AI infrastructure has tightened supply in the memory market. MarketWatch article
• Positive Sentiment: Higher analyst target: Tigress Financial raised its Intel price target from $118 to $145 and maintained a Buy rating, citing potential upside from the company’s manufacturing and AI-related opportunities.
• Positive Sentiment: Altera value realization: Intel-backed Altera’s confidential IPO filing could help establish a market value for Intel’s retained 49% stake and provide additional support for Intel’s restructuring strategy. Yahoo Finance article
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market factors: Semiconductor stocks are also rebounding as investors await the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision and upcoming retail-sales data. The sector remains highly sensitive to rates and changing expectations for AI spending.
• Negative Sentiment: Deal remains preliminary: The SK Hynix discussions are exploratory, with no agreement, financial terms or production timetable announced. South Korean authorities could also review the arrangement for technology-security concerns, leaving execution and regulatory risks unresolved. Benzinga article
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution concerns: Intel’s recent rally has left the stock trading near its 50-day average and well above its 200-day average, increasing sensitivity to disappointment. Investors continue to question whether Intel can execute its foundry strategy and convert manufacturing investments into sustainable profits.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Intel

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Revere Asset Management Inc bought a new stake in shares of Intel during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,078,000. U S Wealth Group LLC. bought a new position in Intel in the second quarter worth $662,000. Menlo Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Intel during the second quarter worth $342,000. Bouchey Financial Group Ltd. boosted its stake in Intel by 32.1% during the second quarter. Bouchey Financial Group Ltd. now owns 4,992 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $697,000 after buying an additional 1,214 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Miramontes Capital LLC bought a new stake in Intel in the 2nd quarter valued at $303,000. 64.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Intel Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $513.09 billion, a P/E ratio of -48.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 10.37 and a beta of 2.22. The company has a current ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $97.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $90.93.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The chip maker reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $16.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.43 billion. Intel had a negative net margin of 19.79% and a positive return on equity of 2.62%. The firm’s revenue was up 25.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned ($0.10) EPS. Intel has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.380-0.380 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Intel Corporation will post 1.04 EPS for the current year.

About Intel

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) is a global semiconductor company that designs and manufactures computing and communications products. Its portfolio includes Intel Core processors for personal computers, Xeon processors for data centers and enterprise systems, and products for edge computing, networking, and other specialized applications.

Intel also develops graphics processing units under its Intel Arc and Intel Data Center GPU brands, Gaudi artificial intelligence accelerators, Ethernet products, software, and related platform technologies.