Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Stock Jumps 3.6% – Still a Buy?

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)’s stock price rose 3.6% during trading on Tuesday. The company traded as high as $94.98 and last traded at $93.74. Approximately 89,423,920 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 23% from the average daily volume of 115,544,867 shares. The stock had previously closed at $90.47.

Intel News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quantum-computing acquisition: Intel reportedly agreed to acquire Israeli quantum-software company Classiq for approximately $2.3 billion. The deal would give Intel software capabilities to complement its quantum hardware and create a fuller-stack offering, strengthening its position in a developing market. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: More bullish analyst views: New Street Research upgraded Intel to Buy from Neutral with a $125 target, citing a shortage of server CPU capacity. KeyBanc separately set a $155 target, pointing to server demand, regulatory relief for factory equipment and CEO insider buying. New Street Research upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Server and AI catalysts: Analysts expect data-center revenue and Xeon processor demand to benefit from AI infrastructure expansion and tight server CPU supply. Intel’s Crescent Island GPU D-series and Xeon rack designs also target memory-intensive agentic-AI inference workloads. Zacks earnings preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings are the key test: Wedbush described the setup as balanced, with server performance likely to determine whether Intel can sustain its recovery. Options markets imply an unusually large move around the Oct. 29 report, making guidance on margins, pricing and foundry spending especially important. Wedbush earnings outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive and valuation risks: NVIDIA’s expanding CPU business could pressure Intel and AMD in data centers, while Intel continues to face elevated costs, foundry execution concerns and fierce competition. The Classiq purchase also represents a significant capital commitment before quantum revenue is established. NVIDIA CPU competition analysis

Analyst Ratings Changes

INTC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Intel from $92.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. KeyCorp set a $125.00 price target on shares of Intel in a report on Friday, July 24th. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Intel from $75.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Roth Capital lifted their target price on Intel from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Intel in a research report on Monday, October 19th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Intel has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $108.23.

Intel Trading Up 3.6%

The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $102.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $85.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 1.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $472.82 billion, a P/E ratio of -44.43, a PEG ratio of 9.23 and a beta of 2.22.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Lip Bu Tan purchased 105,263 shares of Intel stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $95.00 per share, for a total transaction of $9,999,985.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,314,669 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $124,893,555. This trade represents a 8.70% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.05% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Intel

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Intel by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 216,849,675 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $30,278,720,000 after acquiring an additional 2,528,657 shares during the last quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA bought a new position in shares of Intel during the second quarter worth $10,507,291,000. Amundi grew its holdings in shares of Intel by 14.9% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 38,969,192 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $1,719,710,000 after buying an additional 5,045,936 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in shares of Intel by 35.7% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 31,724,362 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $4,429,673,000 after buying an additional 8,342,514 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in shares of Intel by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 30,700,929 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $1,354,832,000 after buying an additional 112,054 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 64.53% of the company’s stock.

Intel Company Profile

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) is a global semiconductor company that designs and manufactures computing and connectivity products. Its portfolio includes Intel Core processors for personal computers, Xeon processors for data centers and enterprise systems, and products for networking, edge computing, graphics, and artificial intelligence workloads.

Through Intel Foundry, the company also provides semiconductor manufacturing and technology-development services for external customers. Intel develops process technologies, advanced packaging, and other manufacturing capabilities intended to support its own products and third-party chip designs.

Founded in 1968 by Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore, Intel helped establish the modern microprocessor industry and has historically supplied processors for PCs, servers, and other computing systems.