Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Trading Down 4.5% – Here’s Why

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) shares dropped 4.5% on Friday . The company traded as low as $45.96 and last traded at $46.47. Approximately 112,300,832 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 24% from the average daily volume of 147,083,266 shares. The stock had previously closed at $48.66.

Trending Headlines about Intel

Here are the key news stories impacting Intel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Intel is doubling down on advanced manufacturing by making a big strategic bet on ASML’s next‑gen lithography systems — a move that supports its long‑term foundry competitiveness. Intel Just Made a Big Bet on ASML’s Next‑Gen Technology
• Positive Sentiment: Insider buying reported by an Intel executive (EVP purchase disclosed) is a near‑term supportive signal showing internal confidence. Intel EVP Acquires $249,985.00 in Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Some coverage highlights that supply constraints at TSMC and elevated data‑center demand could create opportunities for Intel’s foundry push — a tailwind for long‑term revenue if execution holds. Why TSMC’s Capacity Nightmare Is Intel’s Foundry Dream
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and commentators note Nvidia could be the real catalyst (or obstacle) for Intel’s 18A/14A roadmap — the potential upside depends entirely on whether large GPU customers commit to Intel’s nodes. Intel: The Real Catalyst Could Be Nvidia For 18A/14A
• Neutral Sentiment: Earlier reports that Nvidia was considering using Intel for packaging/manufacturing in 2028 create optionality — helpful background but not an immediate revenue driver. Nvidia’s Next‑Gen GPU Could be Coming to Intel Foundry
• Negative Sentiment: Newer reports say Nvidia raised doubts about using Intel’s 18A process — that uncertainty hit sentiment today because a major Nvidia commitment would materially validate Intel’s foundry story. Intel Stock Takes a Hit as Nvidia Doubts Emerge
• Negative Sentiment: Follow‑up reporting says Nvidia tested Intel’s 18A and chose not to use it — a high‑profile setback that deepens concerns over Intel’s ability to land marquee foundry clients. Nvidia Just Dealt a Devastating Blow To Intel
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain sensitive to Intel’s recent disappointing Q1 guidance and post‑earnings selloff; several outlets highlight analyst caution (DZ Bank reiterating a sell, Sanford Bernstein neutral), keeping pressure on the stock until execution and orders improve. Intel “Sell” Rating Reiterated at DZ Bank Sanford C. Bernstein Reaffirms Neutral Rating for Intel

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently issued reports on INTC. Melius Research raised Intel from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $50.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Intel from $30.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. BNP Paribas Exane boosted their price objective on Intel from $19.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. DZ Bank reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Intel in a research report on Monday. Finally, Mizuho set a $48.00 price objective on Intel in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-six have assigned a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $45.65.

Intel Stock Down 4.5%

The company has a market capitalization of $232.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -580.80, a P/E/G ratio of 25.84 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a current ratio of 2.02. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $41.15 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $33.57.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The chip maker reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.08 by $0.07. Intel had a negative return on equity of 0.44% and a negative net margin of 0.51%.The company had revenue of $13.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.13 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. Intel has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.000-0.000 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Intel Corporation will post -0.11 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP David Zinsner acquired 5,882 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 26th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $42.50 per share, for a total transaction of $249,985.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 247,392 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,514,160. This represents a 2.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Intel

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of INTC. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Intel during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,579,378,000. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in Intel by 32.5% during the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 86,503,121 shares of the chip maker’s stock worth $2,902,180,000 after buying an additional 21,230,715 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Intel by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 404,522,308 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $14,926,873,000 after buying an additional 13,692,624 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Intel by 210.9% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 15,498,219 shares of the chip maker’s stock valued at $346,230,000 after buying an additional 10,514,007 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp increased 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 buying an additional 8,569,812 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.53% of the company’s stock.

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.