Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Trading Up 3.4% - Should You Buy?

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC - Get Free Report) experienced a 3.4% increase in stock value on Friday, trading as high as $24.44 before settling at $23.88. During mid-day trading, approximately 38,983,799 shares were exchanged, reflecting a significant decline of 59% from the average daily volume of 95,050,742 shares. The stock had closed the previous day at $23.09.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Market analysts have offered varied opinions on Intel’s stock. Truist Financial revised their price target for Intel from $22.00 to $21.00, maintaining a "hold" rating on the stock. Meanwhile, Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a "sell" rating with a target price of $20.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target from $26.00 to $23.00 and categorized the stock as "underweight." In contrast, Northland Securities decreased their price target from $42.00 to $28.00 while assigning an "outperform" rating. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective from $20.00 to $25.00 and issued a "neutral" rating. Overall, five analysts rate the stock as a sell, twenty-seven have a hold rating, and only one analyst has issued a buy rating. Currently, MarketBeat reports an average rating of "Hold" with a target price averaging $26.88.

Recent Performance Highlights

As of the recent market performance, Intel has a market capitalization of $102.80 billion. The company displays a negative price-to-earnings ratio of -5.42 and a beta of 1.08. Over the last fifty days, the stock has traded with a moving average price of $21.12, while the two-hundred day moving average stands at $21.75. Financial ratios indicate a current ratio of 1.33, a quick ratio of 0.98, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44.

Intel’s most recent earnings report was released on January 30, revealing an earnings per share (EPS) of -$0.02, which fell short of the $0.12 consensus estimate by $0.14. The company reported a negative return on equity of 3.27% and a substantial negative net margin of 35.32%. Analysts forecast a projected EPS of -$0.11 for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Recently, several institutional investors and hedge funds have made adjustments to their Intel holdings. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Intel valued at approximately $1.25 billion in the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP also bought a new position in the same quarter worth $289.75 million. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its Intel shares by 264.0% in the fourth quarter and now owns over 19.6 million shares valued at $393.32 million. UBS Asset Management raised its holdings by 28.2%, bringing its total shares to 58.47 million, valued at $1.37 billion. Meanwhile, Two Sigma Investments LP established a new position valued at $237.46 million. It is noted that institutional investors and hedge funds own approximately 64.53% of Intel's stock.

Intel Company Overview

Intel Corporation specializes in designing, developing, manufacturing, marketing, and selling computing products and services globally. The company operates through various segments, including Client Computing Group, Data Center and AI, Network and Edge, Mobileye, and Intel Foundry Services. Intel's product portfolio encompasses central processing units (CPUs), chipsets, system-on-chips (SoCs), and graphics processing units (GPUs), among other semiconductor offerings.

Investment Consideration

Before making any investment decisions regarding Intel, potential investors are encouraged to conduct thorough research. Currently, analysts have given Intel a "Reduce" rating, suggesting it may not be the best choice for investment compared to other options. In fact, there are five stocks that top analysts recommend more highly than Intel.

Intel, Stocks, Investment