Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Shares Up 2.6% – Here’s Why

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)’s stock price was up 2.6% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $104.90 and last traded at $102.94. Approximately 85,120,776 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 27% from the average daily volume of 117,391,625 shares. The stock had previously closed at $100.32.

Key Stories Impacting Intel

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: A report that Intel may raise prices on selected PC processors by as much as 10% fueled optimism that tight supply could improve revenue and margins. The market is watching whether the increases reflect sustainable pricing power or temporary scarcity. Intel May Raise Chip Prices 10%
• Positive Sentiment: Northland upgraded Intel to “Outperform” and set a $120 price target, citing progress in the turnaround and constrained server-CPU supply. The call adds to evidence that execution and demand trends may be improving. Northland Intel Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Intel-backed Altera is reportedly preparing an IPO that could raise more than $2 billion as early as 2026. A successful offering could highlight the value of Intel’s portfolio and potentially provide capital or a valuation reference for the business. Altera IPO Report
• Positive Sentiment: Broader semiconductor strength, supported by continued AI infrastructure spending, also lifted Intel alongside major chip peers. Investor attention is increasingly turning to Intel’s advanced packaging capabilities and potential AI-related revenue opportunities. Chip Stocks Rise on AI Spending
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s reported purchase of approximately $10 million of Intel shares provides a vote of confidence, but it does not change the company’s earnings outlook by itself. Intel CEO Share Purchase
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the rally, Piper Sandler initiated coverage at “Hold,” while other analysts remain cautious because Intel’s valuation has risen sharply ahead of proof that the turnaround can generate consistent profits. Recent profit-taking after a multiday advance underscores the stock’s elevated volatility. Piper Sandler Intel Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Investors still face substantial risks from Intel’s ongoing GAAP losses, competition from Nvidia and AMD in AI chips, and uncertainty over whether higher processor prices will persist once supply conditions normalize.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald reduced their price target on shares of Intel from $150.00 to $125.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on shares of Intel in a report on Tuesday. They set an “outperform” rating on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Intel in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Zacks Research lowered Intel from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, DA Davidson upped their price objective on shares of Intel from $77.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. One 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 assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $107.80.

Intel Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $519.23 billion, a PE ratio of -48.79, a P/E/G ratio of 11.03 and a beta of 2.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 1.25. The business’s 50 day moving average is $97.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $89.89.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The chip maker reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.21 by $0.21. The firm 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 business’s revenue for the quarter was up 25.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.10) EPS. Intel has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.380-0.380 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Intel Corporation will post 1.04 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Lip Bu Tan purchased 105,263 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $95.00 per share, for a total transaction of $9,999,985.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,314,669 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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 through this link. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Intel

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. ABS Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Intel during the second quarter valued at approximately $694,101,000. Montgomery Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Intel in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Knuff & Co LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Intel in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Glynn Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Intel in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Intel by 3,185.7% during the 2nd quarter. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC now owns 230 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. 64.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Intel Company Profile

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.