Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Stock Jumps 3.9% – Should You Buy?

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)’s share price traded up 3.9% during trading on Thursday. The company traded as high as $127.44 and last traded at $127.39. Approximately 118,057,450 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 0% from the average daily volume of 117,859,852 shares. The stock had previously closed at $122.60.

Key Headlines Impacting Intel

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Investor enthusiasm around agentic AI is supporting Intel’s CPU outlook. Persistent AI agents require orchestration and inference-related computing, potentially keeping CPUs relevant alongside GPUs. Optimism surrounding Meta’s Muse AI assistant has also lifted sentiment toward CPU makers, although Meta has not confirmed Intel hardware or a purchase commitment. Intel Shares Rise as Agentic AI Keeps CPUs in the Loop
• Positive Sentiment: Intel highlighted new micro-LED technology in glass substrates, part of its effort to improve chip design and packaging as it rebuilds its product and foundry businesses. The development reinforces the company’s broader technology turnaround narrative. Intel Stock Gains With New Micro-LEDs in Glass Substrates
• Positive Sentiment: Chief Executive Lip-Bu Tan’s comments that Intel can supply only about half of customer CPU demand suggest strong near-term product demand, though the constraint also highlights capacity limitations. Investors continue to watch for an outside customer for Intel’s next-generation manufacturing process before 2027.
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street remains divided. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a Neutral rating, while TD Cowen maintained Hold with a $115 price target—below the stock’s recent trading level—arguing that product-revenue growth must improve alongside foundry expansion. Intel Rated Hold as Share Gains Fully Value Upside
• Negative Sentiment: Higher Treasury yields and renewed risk aversion are pressuring high-growth technology valuations, prompting profit-taking across Intel, AMD and Nvidia. Intel’s roughly 293% rally has lifted its sales multiple above the semiconductor-industry average, increasing the risk of further volatility. Intel’s 293% Rally Is Putting Its Valuation to the Test

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Intel from $81.00 to $108.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Barclays upgraded shares of Intel from a “hold” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Wedbush upped their target price on shares of Intel from $60.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Intel from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Intel from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, twenty-six have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $108.49.

Intel Stock Performance

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 company’s fifty day moving average price is $97.90 and its 200 day moving average price is $93.85. The company has a market cap of $642.56 billion, a PE ratio of -60.37, a P/E/G ratio of 13.22 and a beta of 2.22.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The chip maker reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.21 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $16.13 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 quarterly revenue was up 25.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.10) EPS. Intel has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.380-0.380 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Intel Corporation will post 1.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Intel news, CEO Lip Bu Tan bought 105,263 shares of Intel stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $95.00 per share, with a total value of $9,999,985.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,314,669 shares in the company, valued at approximately $124,893,555. The trade was a 8.70% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of INTC. QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Intel by 33.8% during the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 649,888 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $90,744,000 after purchasing an additional 164,339 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. grew its position in Intel by 69.3% during the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 58,514 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $8,170,000 after buying an additional 23,952 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Intel by 4.7% during the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,493,552 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $208,541,000 after buying an additional 67,588 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Intel by 1.2% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 216,849,675 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $30,278,720,000 after acquiring an additional 2,528,657 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Silicon Valley Capital Partners increased its stake in shares of Intel by 66.0% during the 2nd quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 26,172 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $3,654,000 after purchasing an additional 10,406 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.53% of the company’s stock.

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.