Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Trading 8.6% Higher – Time to Buy?

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)’s stock price was up 8.6% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $106.34 and last traded at $105.45. 102,703,909 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 15% from the average daily volume of 120,375,922 shares. The stock had previously closed at $97.06.

Intel News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: RBC’s preview note said Intel could beat Q2 revenue expectations, helping spark a broader rebound in semiconductor shares and lifting sentiment on the stock. Intel Jumps 6% on RBC’s Q2 Beat Call, AMD Rises 4%, Broadcom Climbs 3% as the Chip Rally Resumes
• Positive Sentiment: Intel announced a partnership with Fortinet that makes Fortinet the first named foundry customer under CEO Lip-Bu Tan, which investors are interpreting as validation of Intel’s foundry strategy and AI/security-chip ambitions. Intel’s foundry lands first named customer under CEO Lip-Bu Tan, as Fortinet signs on for security chips
• Positive Sentiment: Several reports say higher processor revenue, stronger data center/AI demand, and improving margins could support a Q2 earnings beat, which is encouraging buyers ahead of results. Will Higher Processor Revenues Boost Intel’s Q2 Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Intel is expected to deliver a very large post-earnings swing, so traders are positioning for volatility rather than a guaranteed directional move. Intel (INTC) Will Report Q2 Earnings on July 23 — Here’s What to Expect from Analysts and Options Traders
• Negative Sentiment: Some articles still warn that Intel’s valuation is stretched and that the stock could be vulnerable if sentiment around semiconductors cools after earnings. Intel set to beat but valuation leaves it exposed to sentiment swings

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

INTC has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Intel from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday. BTIG Research upgraded Intel from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Intel in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 price target on the stock. Rosenblatt Securities boosted their price objective on Intel from $30.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Roth Capital raised shares of Intel from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $100.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating, twenty-nine have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Intel currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $102.77.

Intel Price Performance

The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $117.14 and a 200-day moving average price of $76.60. The company has a market cap of $529.99 billion, a PE ratio of -170.08 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.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The chip maker reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.01 by $0.28. The business had revenue of $13.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.32 billion. Intel had a positive return on equity of 0.39% and a negative net margin of 5.90%.Intel’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.13 earnings per share. Intel has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.200-0.200 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Intel Corporation will post 0.65 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Intel news, EVP Boise April Miller sold 40,256 shares of Intel stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.53, for a total transaction of $4,006,679.68. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 105,077 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,458,313.81. The trade was a 27.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Intel

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. iA Global Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Intel by 17.0% in the 4th quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 593,043 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $21,883,000 after purchasing an additional 86,189 shares during the period. Whalerock Point Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Intel during the fourth quarter worth $205,000. Heritage Investment Group Inc. bought a new stake in Intel in the fourth quarter valued at about $219,000. Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new stake in Intel in the fourth quarter valued at about $185,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in Intel by 5.7% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 255,261 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $9,419,000 after buying an additional 13,858 shares during the period. 64.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.