Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Reaches New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $132.75 and last traded at $129.44, with a volume of 178802355 shares. The stock had previously closed at $124.92.

Key Stories Impacting Intel

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Intel may secure a preliminary chipmaking deal with Apple would be a major endorsement of its foundry business and could open the door to a high-volume, high-profile customer. Apple-Intel preliminary chip deal seen as positive for Intel but raises fab questions, says Wedbush
• Positive Sentiment: News that Intel could work with SK Hynix on chip-packaging technology adds another potential growth catalyst for its semiconductor manufacturing and packaging operations. Intel’s stock extends its hot streak. This is the latest source of optimism.
• Positive Sentiment: Broad tech-sector strength and reports that Intel and other chip names are trading at record levels are supporting momentum buying in the stock. Tech stocks today: AI chipmaker Cerebras to stage blockbuster IPO, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang goes to China
• Neutral Sentiment: Intel remains one of the most heavily watched stocks in the market, but some analysts are still cautious and argue that much of the optimism is already reflected in the valuation. Why BofA remains cautious on Intel stock despite ongoing rally
• Neutral Sentiment: Intel’s short-interest update showed zero shares reported, so it does not provide a meaningful new trading signal. Intel stock data

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

INTC has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Intel from $50.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Susquehanna increased their price target on shares of Intel from $65.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Seaport Research Partners increased their price target on shares of Intel from $65.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Scotiabank initiated coverage on shares of Intel in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. They issued a “sector perform” rating on the stock. Finally, Wedbush reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $30.00 price target on shares of Intel in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $75.64.

Intel Stock Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average price is $61.80 and its 200 day moving average price is $48.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 1.85 and a current ratio of 2.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $650.57 billion, a PE ratio of -208.77 and a beta of 2.18.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The chip maker reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.01 by $0.28. Intel had a negative net margin of 5.90% and a positive return on equity of 0.39%. The firm had revenue of $13.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.32 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.13 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Intel has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.200-0.200 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Intel Corporation will post 0.63 earnings per share 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 shares were sold at an average price of $99.53, for a total value of $4,006,679.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 105,077 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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 accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Intel

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Intel by 271.8% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 34,201 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $766,000 after purchasing an additional 25,001 shares in the last quarter. United Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Intel in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $205,000. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL increased its position in Intel by 12.3% during the 2nd quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 13,737 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $308,000 after buying an additional 1,508 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its stake in Intel by 29.6% during the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 158,277 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $3,545,000 after buying an additional 36,116 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its holdings in Intel by 9.9% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 828,352 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $18,556,000 after acquiring an additional 74,838 shares in the last quarter. 64.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.