Zacks Research Offers Optimistic Forecast for Intel's Q1 Earnings

Intel Co. (NASDAQ:INTC - Free Report) has received an optimistic revision of its earnings expectations for the first quarter of 2026, according to a recent research note from Zacks Research published on January 6th. Analyst R. Department now projects that Intel will achieve earnings of $0.14 per share for the quarter, an improvement from the previous estimate of $0.12. Additionally, the current consensus predicts Intel will report a loss of ($0.87) per share for the full year.

Furthermore, Zacks Research has shared estimates for Intel's performance in future quarters, forecasting earnings of $0.28 per share for Q3 2026, $0.37 per share for Q4 2026, and $0.94 per share for the entire fiscal year of 2026.

On October 31st, Intel disclosed its most recent quarterly earnings, revealing a loss of ($0.46) per share, which fell short of analysts' expectations of ($0.02) by a substantial margin. The company recorded revenues of $13.30 billion for the quarter, comfortably exceeding the expected $13.02 billion. However, these results marked a year-over-year revenue decline of 6.3%, down from earnings of $0.28 per share in the same quarter the previous year.

Market Reactions and Analyst Ratings

Several research analysts have shared their viewpoints on Intel's stock. Rosenblatt Securities maintained a "sell" rating with a price target set at $17.00 in a report dated October 29th. Stifel Nicolaus reiterated a "hold" rating, reducing their price target from $28.00 to $25.00 in a report released on October 25th. Mizuho raised their target price from $22.00 to $23.00, maintaining a "neutral" rating, while Truist Financial also increased their target price from $25.00 to $26.00, indicating a "hold" stance.

Just recently, The Goldman Sachs Group adjusted their price target for Intel, lowering it from $22.00 to $21.00, also assigning the stock a "sell" rating. When considering overall analyst ratings, Intel currently holds a balanced sentiment with six analysts rating it as a sell, twenty-five giving it a hold rating, and one rating it as a buy, resulting in an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $30.04 according to MarketBeat.com.

Intel Stock Movement and Institutional Interest

On Thursday, shares of NASDAQ:INTC opened at $19.88. The stock has experienced a 52-week low of $18.51 and a peak of $50.30. Currently, the company's fifty-day moving average is $22.15 while its 200-day moving average stands at $23.86. With a market capitalization of $85.74 billion, Intel showcases a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.34 and a beta of 1.07, along with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44.

Institutional investors have also been active regarding their positions in Intel. InvesTrust purchased a new position valued at around $3.7 million during the fourth quarter. Diversified Trust Co has increased its holdings by 1.8% during the same period, bringing its total ownership to 83,791 shares valued at $1.68 million. Furthermore, Neville Rodie & Shaw Inc. raised its Intel stake by 23.9%, owning 67,910 shares worth about $1.36 million.

Nordea Investment Management AB also reported a 6% increase in their Intel shares, amassing 349,657 shares valued at about $7.03 million, while General Partner Inc. increased its position by 6.5%. Institutional investors now account for approximately 64.53% of Intel's total shares.

Insider Activity at Intel

In a recent insider transaction, EVP Michelle Johnston Holthaus sold 25,000 shares of Intel stock on November 7th at an average price of $26.00, generating a total value of approximately $650,000. Despite this sale, she continues to hold 273,258 shares valued at around $7.1 million, marking an 8.38% reduction in her ownership stake. Disclosures regarding these transactions are available through filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Understanding Intel’s Operations

Intel Corporation focuses on designing, developing, manufacturing, marketing, and selling a wide range of computing and related products globally. The company operates various segments, including Client Computing Group, Data Center and AI, Network and Edge, Mobileye, and Intel Foundry Services. Intel's extensive product lineup consists of central processing units (CPUs), chipsets, system-on-chips (SoCs), as well as processors for mobile and desktop applications. They also offer hardware products including graphics processing units (GPUs), domain-specific accelerators, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), memory solutions, and more.

Intel, Earnings, Forecast