Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Trading 6.5% Higher Following Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) were up 6.5% during trading on Friday after BTIG Research upgraded the stock from a neutral rating to a buy rating. The company traded as high as $127.60 and last traded at $124.57. Approximately 148,352,966 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 22% from the average daily volume of 121,380,992 shares. The stock had previously closed at $116.96.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Intel from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. HSBC upgraded shares of Intel from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $50.00 to $95.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Rosenblatt Securities lifted their target price on shares of Intel from $30.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Piper Sandler began coverage on shares of Intel in a research report on Thursday. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, Arete Research lifted their target price on shares of Intel from $20.40 to $99.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $87.31.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Intel news, EVP Boise April Miller sold 40,256 shares of Intel stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.53, for a total transaction of $4,006,679.68. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 105,077 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,458,313.81. The trade was a 27.70% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Intel

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America’s rare double upgrade to Buy and higher $135 target strengthened investor confidence in Intel’s CPU and foundry turnaround. From Underperform to Buy. Here Is Why BofA Just Changed Its Mind on INTC.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted Intel’s growing exposure to AI infrastructure and foundry growth, suggesting the market may be underestimating its long-term earnings power. Intel Rises as Capital Raise Talk Builds
• Positive Sentiment: Intel is also being viewed as a national-security beneficiary, which could support policy-driven demand and strategic investment over time. Why Intel’s National Security Role Could Reshape Its Long-Term Investment Case
• Neutral Sentiment: Some traders are watching whether the recent rally pauses after a very strong run, with a few articles framing the move as a possible short-term breather. What’s Going On With Intel Stock Friday?
• Negative Sentiment: Not all commentary is bullish: some reports warn that Intel, like other chipmakers, could fall sharply if AI enthusiasm proves to be a bubble or broader semiconductor sentiment weakens. Nvidia vs. AMD vs. Intel: What If the Bears Are Right About Chip Stocks?

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. iA Global Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Intel by 17.0% in the 4th quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 593,043 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $21,883,000 after purchasing an additional 86,189 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its stake in shares of Intel by 18.3% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 55,521,741 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $1,862,755,000 after purchasing an additional 8,569,812 shares during the period. Heritage Investment Group Inc. acquired a new position in Intel during the 4th quarter worth approximately $219,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in Intel by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 255,261 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $9,419,000 after buying an additional 13,858 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc raised its stake in Intel by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 34,012,894 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $1,255,076,000 after buying an additional 423,481 shares during the period. 64.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Intel Trading Up 6.5%

The business has a 50 day moving average of $93.64 and a two-hundred day moving average of $61.12. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $626.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -200.92 and a beta of 2.21.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The chip maker reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 business 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 earned $0.13 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Intel has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.200-0.200 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Intel Corporation will post 0.63 EPS for the current year.

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.