After its stock fell to end last week following Wall Street’s missing Q1 2026 projections from Wall Street, Intel (INTC) stock is back on the rise. The stock’s value rebounded by over 10% on Wednesday, sending shares back to $48.58. YTD, INTC is up 31%, outperforming AMD and Nvidia (NVDA).
On Thursday, Intel posted better-than-expected Q4 2025 earnings. However, its Q1 forecast is what troubled Wall Street. The chipmaker said it expects first-quarter revenue of $12.2 billion, at the midpoint of its range and below the $12.6 billion projected by Wall Street analysts tracked by Bloomberg. Intel guided for earnings per share of $0 for the period, short of the estimated $0.08. INTC dipped over 10% after hours on Thursday, and has falled 17% during Friday’s trading session.
Fortunately, Wednesday brought a bullish flag that helped ignite an Intel (INTC) stock rebound. Indeed, semiconductor company Texas Instruments (TXN) helped reignite the broader semiconductor rally, reinforcing the idea that AI demand is still very much alive. While TXM fell short of Wall Street’s fourth-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, Texas Instruments guided for first-quarter earnings per share of $1.22 to $1.48 on revenue of $4.3 billion to $4.7 billion, with the midpoint of about $1.35 in EPS and about $4.5 billion in revenue coming in above analysts’ forecasts. Investors took that as a sign that end-demand across key chip markets is holding up better than feared.
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Furthermore, AI hopes also got a boost overseas. Dutch-based chip-equipment leader ASML reported bookings that blew past expectations, with orders coming in nearly double what analysts had forecast. These earnings reports reassured INTC investors that AI was still in huge demand, helping the stock reverse its price dip to end last week. The stock remains down 10% in the last five days, but that slump appears ready to be reversed entirely.
Wall Street remains a bit cautious on Intel (INTC) due to the price volatility it has shown lately. Analysts show a mixed sentiment, with ratings ranging from “Sell” to “Hold” and price targets significantly below the current market price of $48. Rosenblatt, with a Sell rating, and Loop Capital, with a Hold rating, both have a price target of $25, reflecting caution. Meanwhile, Truist Securities sees a closer alignment with a Hold and a price target of $39.