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

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) shares shot up 1.1% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $122.78 and last traded at $119.84. 81,943,555 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 32% from the average session volume of 120,153,305 shares. The stock had previously closed at $118.50.

Intel News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Intel introduced its Core Ultra Series 3 processors for edge AI and robotics, a product update that highlights progress in its AI hardware roadmap and could help it compete for next-generation embedded and industrial workloads. Intel (INTC) Introduces Core Ultra Series 3 Processors for Edge AI Robotics
• Positive Sentiment: Reports said Intel may be pursuing AI startup Tenstorrent, suggesting the company is still willing to make bold moves to strengthen its AI strategy and expand its technology portfolio. Intel Joins Race To Buy AI Startup Tenstorrent: Report
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage comparing Nvidia, AMD and Intel keeps INTC in the center of the AI-chip trade, and investor attention remains elevated as traders look for the next beneficiary of the broader AI buildout. Nvidia vs. AMD vs. Intel: Which is the best chip stock to own?

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on INTC. Benchmark increased their price objective on Intel to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on Intel from $65.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Seaport Research Partners increased their price objective on Intel from $65.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Intel from $56.00 to $73.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Melius Research set a $150.00 price objective on Intel in a research note on Monday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Intel currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $81.52.

Intel Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $73.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of $52.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $602.32 billion, a PE ratio of -193.29 and a beta of 2.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 2.31 and a quick ratio of 1.85.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The chip maker reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.01 by $0.28. Intel had a positive return on equity of 0.39% and a negative net margin of 5.90%.The firm had revenue of $13.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.32 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.13 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Intel has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.200-0.200 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Intel Corporation will post 0.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Intel

In other news, EVP Boise April Miller sold 40,256 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.53, for a total value of $4,006,679.68. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 105,077 shares in the company, valued at $10,458,313.81. This trade represents a 27.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Intel

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of INTC. iA Global Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Intel by 17.0% in the fourth quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 593,043 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $21,883,000 after buying an additional 86,189 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its stake in shares of Intel by 18.3% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 55,521,741 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $1,862,755,000 after buying an additional 8,569,812 shares in the last quarter. Heritage Investment Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Intel in the fourth quarter valued at about $219,000. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Intel by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 404,522,308 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $14,926,873,000 after buying an additional 13,692,624 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Katamaran Capital LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Intel in the third quarter valued at about $349,000. 64.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.