Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Trading 1.1% Higher – Should You Buy?

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) shares rose 1.1% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $46.65 and last traded at $45.77. Approximately 68,087,112 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 39% from the average daily volume of 111,296,102 shares. The stock had previously closed at $45.25.

Key Intel News

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Recent product news — Intel rolled out Panther Lake / Core Ultra refresh chips and highlighted desktop processor upgrades that management says boost gaming and multi-thread performance; those launches have supported near-term revenue and sentiment. Intel stock climbs after Panther Lake announcement and processor launches
• Positive Sentiment: Foundry progress — Intel reiterated targets to push its foundry business toward break-even margins by 2027, which, if achieved, would help diversify revenue and improve profitability longer term. Intel aims break-even margins for foundry business by 2027
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and market chatter — Coverage pieces (Zacks, FXEmpire) note elevated investor attention and mixed near-term outlooks for the chip sector; macro/geopolitical noise is keeping chip forecasts cautious even as product-cycle momentum builds. Intel is attracting investor attention — Zacks
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder lawsuit over the U.S. 10% stake — A suit seeks to unwind or challenge the government’s near-10% stake, alleging improper motives for the deal and suggesting governance and reputational risks; that legal cloud is creating headline-driven volatility and downside risk. Intel shareholder sues over 10% stake deal with U.S. government — Seeking Alpha
• Negative Sentiment: Reputational / political angle — Follow-ups (Benzinga, MSN, BarChart) amplify allegations that the stake’s terms were politically motivated; continuing media coverage could pressure sentiment until legal/regulatory clarity is reached. As a shareholder sues Intel for Trump deal — Barchart

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on INTC. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Intel from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, March 8th. Barclays set a $45.00 target price on Intel in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on Intel in a research report on Friday, November 21st. They issued a “market perform” rating for the company. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Intel in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Tigress Financial restated a “buy” rating and set a $66.00 price objective on shares of Intel in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-six have assigned a Hold rating and six have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $45.74.

Intel Stock Performance

The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $46.22 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.66. The company has a market capitalization of $228.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -572.05, a P/E/G ratio of 17.78 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a current ratio of 2.02.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The chip maker reported $0.15 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.08 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $13.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.37 billion. Intel had a negative return on equity of 0.44% and a negative net margin of 0.51%.Intel’s revenue was down 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.13 earnings per share. Intel has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.000-0.000 EPS. Analysts expect that Intel Corporation will post -0.11 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Intel news, EVP David Zinsner bought 5,882 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, January 26th. The shares were bought at an average price of $42.50 per share, with a total value of $249,985.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president directly owned 247,392 shares in the company, valued at $10,514,160. The trade was a 2.44% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Boise April Miller sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.05, for a total value of $981,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 113,060 shares in the company, valued at $5,545,593. This represents a 15.03% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Intel

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in INTC. Financially Speaking Inc boosted its position in Intel by 69.2% during the fourth quarter. Financially Speaking Inc now owns 682 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 279 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Intel during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Investors Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych Spolka Akcyjna acquired a new position in Intel in the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new position in Intel during the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Raleigh Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Intel in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.53% of the company’s stock.

Intel Company Profile

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.