Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Stock Price Up 1.6% – Should You Buy?

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)’s stock price traded up 1.6% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $46.97 and last traded at $46.88. 74,500,900 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 39% from the average session volume of 121,978,570 shares. The stock had previously closed at $46.12.

Key Intel News

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Intel joined a $350M financing round for AI‑chip start‑up SambaNova and struck a multiyear partnership to deliver inference solutions using SambaNova designs and Intel elements — a direct play into the fast‑growing AI inference market that could help Intel compete with Nvidia. AI chip startup SambaNova raises $350 million in Vista-led round, signs Intel partnership
• Positive Sentiment: SambaNova unveiled its SN50 AI chip, which the company says materially outperforms competing AI GPUs — the partnership gives Intel exposure to potentially differentiated silicon and software for inference workloads. SambaNova Unveils Fastest Chip for Agentic AI, Collaborates with Intel, and Raises $350M+
• Positive Sentiment: Sector tailwinds lifted Intel after AMD sealed a large AI‑chip deal with Meta; investors bid up multiple chip names on the prospect of multi‑year cloud AI purchases, providing momentum that benefited INTC. Why Is Intel (INTC) Stock Soaring Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Technically, INTC is consolidating after a breakout and bulls appear to be defending key support levels — this helps explain short‑term buying but doesn’t guarantee sustained fundamental improvements. Intel (INTC) Price Forecast: Breakout Holds as Bulls Defend Support
• Negative Sentiment: Governance and conflict‑of‑interest questions surfaced because Intel’s CEO, Lip‑Bu Tan, has been a long‑time investor and chairman of SambaNova; media scrutiny could raise oversight concerns even as the deal proceeds. Intel Strikes Deal With a Chip Start-Up Its C.E.O. Invested In
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/market caution: high‑profile warnings about AI‑driven market fragility (a viral doomsday memo and commentary from Nassim Taleb) are increasing volatility risk for AI‑exposed stocks, which could trigger episodic selloffs. ‘Black Swan’ author warns investors to brace for bankruptcies

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on INTC shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Intel in a report on Monday, December 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Intel in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. HSBC upgraded shares of Intel from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $26.00 to $50.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Daiwa Securities Group upped their price target on shares of Intel from $41.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, New Street Research increased their price target on Intel from $40.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-six have given a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $45.74.

Intel Price Performance

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 stock has a market cap of $234.17 billion, a PE ratio of -585.93, a P/E/G ratio of 15.34 and a beta of 1.38. The company’s 50 day moving average is $44.04 and its 200-day moving average is $37.00.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The chip maker reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.08 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $13.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.37 billion. Intel had a negative return on equity of 0.44% and a negative net margin of 0.51%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.13 earnings per share. Intel has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.000-0.000 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Intel Corporation will post -0.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Intel

In related news, EVP Boise April Miller sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.05, for a total transaction of $981,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 113,060 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,545,593. This represents a 15.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Zinsner acquired 5,882 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 26th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $42.50 per share, with a total value of $249,985.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 247,392 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,514,160. This trade represents a 2.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.04% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Intel

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Financially Speaking Inc increased its position in 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 during the period. Legacy Bridge LLC bought a new position in shares of Intel in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Intel during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Swiss RE Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Intel during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new stake in shares of Intel during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. 64.53% of the stock is 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.