Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Upgraded to “Neutral” at Citigroup

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) was upgraded by equities researchers at Citigroup from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report issued on Thursday. The brokerage currently has a $50.00 price objective on the chip maker’s stock. Citigroup’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 2.63% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also commented on INTC. KeyCorp raised Intel from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $60.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price on shares of Intel from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Benchmark lifted their price target on shares of Intel from $43.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Intel from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on shares of Intel in a report on Friday, November 21st. They set a “market perform” rating on the stock. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Hold rating and seven have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $38.08.

Intel Price Performance

Shares of INTC opened at $48.72 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $232.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 4,876.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 31.98 and a beta of 1.35. Intel has a 1 year low of $17.67 and a 1 year high of $49.00. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $38.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $31.71. The company has a current ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The chip maker reported $0.23 earnings per share for the quarter. Intel had a net margin of 0.37% and a negative return on equity of 0.75%. The business had revenue of $13.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.10 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted ($0.46) EPS. Intel’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. Intel has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 0.080-0.080 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Intel will post -0.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Intel

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bank of Nova Scotia lifted its position in Intel by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 2,332,433 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $52,246,000 after acquiring an additional 51,383 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Intel during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,579,378,000. Engineers Gate Manager LP raised its stake in shares of Intel by 91.8% in the second quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 765,091 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $17,138,000 after purchasing an additional 366,092 shares during the last quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Intel by 100.1% in the second quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 247,660 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $5,548,000 after purchasing an additional 123,895 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Intel by 2.3% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 385,903,735 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $8,644,244,000 after buying an additional 8,513,298 shares during the last quarter. 64.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Intel

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and bullish research highlight near-term revenue upside from strong AI server CPU demand and higher pricing — KeyBanc moved Intel to Overweight and set a high price target, citing nearly sold-out server CPU supply for 2026 and potential for a 10–15% price increase on chips. Intel (INTC) Stock: Why This Chip Maker Just Got One of Wall Street’s Highest Price Targets
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary says Intel’s server CPU capacity for 2026 is nearly sold out, boosting revenue visibility and giving Intel leverage to raise prices — a direct demand-driven driver for near-term earnings. Stock Market Today, Jan. 14: Intel Jumps on Sold Out 2026 Server CPU Capacity
• Positive Sentiment: Foundry progress: reports of improved yields on Intel’s 18A process (yields >60% cited) have fueled speculation Intel can scale contract manufacturing, becoming a credible alternative to TSMC and unlocking a higher-margin revenue stream. “The Number Two Chip Foundry,” Intel Stock Blasts Up on New Appraisal
• Neutral Sentiment: TSMC capacity constraints are being framed as a secular tailwind for Intel (more foundry demand could flow to Intel), but converting that into sustainable revenue requires execution and customer wins. TSMC Says ‘No More’ To Nvidia: Why That Is Intel’s Golden Ticket
• Neutral Sentiment: Political and sentiment drivers (U.S. government stake, public endorsements) have amplified the rally — helpful for momentum but not a substitute for sustained operational results. President Donald Trump Says, “The United States Government Is Proud to Be a Shareholder of Intel.” Should You?
• Negative Sentiment: Risk note — some analysts and deep-dive pieces warn of hidden cyclical risk from a U.S. capex boom (large capital spending can amplify cyclicality) and suggest caution; a downgrade-style narrative could pressure the stock if growth or margins disappoint. Intel’s U.S. Capex Boom Carries A Hidden Cyclical Risk (Rating Downgrade)
• Negative Sentiment: Operational/financial cautions remain: analysts note Intel still faces cash-burn and execution risks scaling foundry and data-center products; if yields, customer wins or margin improvement slow, upside could reverse quickly. Why Intel Stock Popped Today

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.