Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Stock Price Up 3.6% – Should You Buy?

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

Key Intel News

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 topic of several research reports. Mizuho boosted their price target on Intel from $92.00 to $114.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. National Bank Financial set a $85.00 price objective on Intel in a report on Monday, October 19th. Wall Street Zen lowered Intel from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Seaport Research Partners restated a “buy” rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Intel in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Piper Sandler initiated coverage on Intel in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $110.00 target price for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Intel currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $108.23.

Intel Trading Up 3.6%

The stock has a market cap of $472.82 billion, a P/E ratio of -44.43, a PEG ratio of 9.23 and a beta of 2.22. 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 business’s 50 day simple moving average is $102.10 and its 200 day simple moving average is $85.24.

Insider Activity at Intel

In other news, CEO Lip Bu Tan bought 105,263 shares of Intel stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were bought at an average price of $95.00 per share, for a total transaction of $9,999,985.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer 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 purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Intel

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp grew its position in Intel by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 216,849,675 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $30,278,720,000 after acquiring an additional 2,528,657 shares during the last quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA acquired a new position in Intel in the second quarter worth $10,507,291,000. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in shares of Intel by 35.7% during the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 31,724,362 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $4,429,673,000 after purchasing an additional 8,342,514 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in shares of Intel during the second quarter worth $4,096,110,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its stake in shares of Intel by 87.1% in the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 30,214,769 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $3,632,722,000 after buying an additional 14,063,302 shares in the last quarter. 64.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Intel

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.