Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Issues Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) updated its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 0.000-0.000 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 0.010. The company issued revenue guidance of $11.7 billion-$12.7 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $12.6 billion.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on INTC shares. DZ Bank reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Intel in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating on shares of Intel in a research report on Wednesday. Wedbush reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $30.00 target price on shares of Intel in a research report on Tuesday. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Intel from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded shares of Intel from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $29.00 to $50.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $41.55.

Intel Stock Performance

Shares of INTC traded up $0.07 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $54.32. The company had a trading volume of 162,148,791 shares, compared to its average volume of 136,034,672. Intel has a 12 month low of $17.67 and a 12 month high of $54.60. The firm has a market cap of $259.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5,437.44, a PEG ratio of 30.45 and a beta of 1.35. The business has a fifty day moving average of $39.67 and a 200-day moving average of $32.64. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 22nd. The chip maker reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.08 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $13.67 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.37 billion. Intel had a net margin of 0.37% and a negative return on equity of 0.75%. Intel has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.000-0.000 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Intel will post -0.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting Intel

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street is getting more bullish — HSBC sharply raised its price target and other firms have upgraded or raised targets on INTC, reflecting growing confidence in AI-driven server CPU demand. HSBC Doubles Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Product catalyst: analysts and commentators point to the new Panther Lake laptop CPU as a “crucial” growth driver if it scales broadly — positive for PC and AI-edge revenue potential. Panther Lake Preview
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum behind the rally — multiple outlets note INTC hit fresh 52‑week highs and jumped double‑digits as investors priced stronger data‑center/server CPU demand and foundry optimism. Stock Rallies 11%
• Positive Sentiment: Options and positioning suggest traders expect upside into earnings — increased options activity and bullish positioning fueled the pre‑earnings move. Options Traders Jump In
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings expectations: traders expect a sizable post‑earnings move and analysts are focused on data‑center revenue growth, margins and foundry commentary — much is already priced in. Traders’ Expected Move
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro backdrop is mixed but not directly dislodging the AI narrative — weekly jobless claims and economic data are being watched alongside earnings for broader risk appetite cues. Jobless Claims
• Negative Sentiment: Partnership risk — coverage notes a potential SambaNova deal has stalled, which could dent AI-partnership upside and investor sentiment if confirmed. SambaNova Deal Stalls
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and margin caution — some analysts (and pieces flagging structural constraints) warn that foundry execution, margin recovery and near‑term guidance could disappoint vs. lofty expectations, raising the risk of a double‑digit post‑earnings swing. Brace for Volatility

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in INTC. Quarry LP grew its position in Intel by 744.7% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 4,156 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $139,000 after buying an additional 3,664 shares in the last quarter. Wexford Capital LP increased its position in shares of Intel by 89.6% in the third quarter. Wexford Capital LP now owns 4,346 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $146,000 after purchasing an additional 2,054 shares during the period. Banque Transatlantique SA increased its position in shares of Intel by 54.8% in the third quarter. Banque Transatlantique SA now owns 4,800 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $161,000 after purchasing an additional 1,700 shares during the period. Sterling Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Intel in the third quarter valued at about $201,000. Finally, Tcfg Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Intel in the third quarter valued at about $204,000. 64.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.