Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Shares Up 8.8% – Should You Buy?

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) shares rose 8.8% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $48.77 and last traded at $48.03. Approximately 129,004,558 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 20% from the average daily volume of 107,694,742 shares. The stock had previously closed at $44.13.

Key Stories Impacting Intel

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Intel will buy back Apollo Global Management’s 49% stake in Fab 34 (Leixlip, Ireland) for $14.2B — restoring full ownership of an AI-focused manufacturing facility and signaling management’s confidence in demand for AI chips. Intel shares jump 9% after buying back Ireland chip fab
• Positive Sentiment: Street reaction and buy-side commentary pushed shares up; some brokers are recommending buying into the move as the repurchase underscores a cleaner capital structure for fabs and better unit economics for AI workloads. Intel jumps 9% on repurchase of Ireland fab
• Positive Sentiment: Options and positioning show bullish interest — unusually large near-term put activity has been interpreted by some traders as contrarian bullish sentiment (investors buying downside protection or signaling a bottom). Intel Has Unusual Put Option Volume
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate PR / ESG: Intel partnered on an AI-powered school lab in Ghana, a positive PR and market-development item (minor near-term impact but supports brand and global adoption narratives). Intel commissions AI computer lab in Ghana
• Neutral Sentiment: Intel has an upcoming Q1 earnings report scheduled later this month — the repurchase sets a tone but upcoming results and guidance will still be primary drivers for near-term moves. Intel to Report First-Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Market noise: there were false merger rumors and an April Fool’s prank earlier in the session that created extra volatility; ignore unverified merger reports. Don’t Freak Out. AMD Is NOT Buying Intel
• Negative Sentiment: Financing the deal: reports say Intel will use cash on hand plus proceeds from a new debt issuance — the $14.2B outlay increases near-term cash outflows and will add leverage, which investors should monitor for capital allocation and rating impacts. Intel to Buy Back Apollo’s Stake in Ireland Fab 34 for $14.2 Billion
• Negative Sentiment: Execution & valuation risks remain — Intel still faces margin, earnings and execution uncertainty (recent quarters showed revenue declines and mixed profitability), so the repurchase is a strategic vote of confidence but does not eliminate near-term operational risk. Intel’s Quarterly Earnings Preview

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. KeyCorp boosted their price target on shares of Intel from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating on shares of Intel in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Evercore lifted their target price on Intel from $41.10 to $45.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on Intel from $50.00 to $48.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Intel from $35.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Intel currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $45.74.

Intel Price Performance

The company’s 50 day moving average is $46.22 and its 200-day moving average is $40.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $239.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -600.30, a P/E/G ratio of 17.65 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a current ratio of 2.02, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Intel

In related news, EVP David Zinsner bought 5,882 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 26th. The stock was bought at an average price of $42.50 per share, for a total transaction of $249,985.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president owned 247,392 shares in the company, valued at $10,514,160. This represents a 2.44% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Boise April Miller sold 20,000 shares of Intel stock in a transaction dated 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 $5,545,593. The trade was a 15.03% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Intel

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Intel by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 404,522,308 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $14,926,873,000 after purchasing an additional 13,692,624 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Intel by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 208,536,784 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $7,695,007,000 after buying an additional 5,714,400 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors grew its holdings in Intel by 20.3% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 104,060,268 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $3,839,833,000 after buying an additional 17,557,147 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Intel by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 101,931,512 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $3,744,406,000 after buying an additional 3,124,798 shares during the period. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased its position in Intel by 20.4% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 65,249,269 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $2,407,698,000 after buying an additional 11,056,090 shares during the period. 64.53% of the stock is currently 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.