New York, January 7, 2026, 15:29 EST — Regular session
- Intel shares rise about 6% in afternoon trade, bucking a weaker semiconductor ETF tape.
- The rally follows Intel’s CES launch of Core Ultra Series 3, its first consumer chips built on the 18A manufacturing node.
- Melius Research turned bullish with a $50 target, but broader target averages cited in data feeds sit below the current share price.
Intel shares jumped 6.3% to $42.56 in afternoon trading on Wednesday, outpacing a slide in chip ETFs, as investors leaned into the company’s CES pitch that its new 18A manufacturing push is ready for prime time. The iShares Semiconductor ETF fell 1.2% and VanEck’s chip ETF slipped 0.7%, while the Nasdaq 100 ETF was modestly higher and the S&P 500 ETF edged down.
Why it matters now is credibility. Intel’s stock has become a referendum on whether it can execute its manufacturing roadmap after years of delays and missed windows, not just whether the PC market is growing.
18A is the shorthand investors keep coming back to — a new “process node,” or the production technology used to make chips smaller, faster and more power-efficient. If Intel can ramp it in volume, it strengthens the case that it can win back share from AMD and sell manufacturing services to outside customers, not just build its own parts.
Intel said its Core Ultra Series 3 processors are the first AI PC platform built on Intel 18A, and it expects systems to be available globally starting Jan. 27 after pre-orders began on Tuesday. Jim Johnson, a senior vice president who runs Intel’s Client Computing Group, said the company is “laser-focused on improving power efficiency” while adding “more AI compute.” 1
At CES in Las Vegas, Intel rolled out the Panther Lake laptop line as the debut for its 18A process, a step it framed as a key proof point as it tries to regain ground lost to AMD. Chief executive Lip-Bu Tan said Intel had made good on its promise to ship its first products made on 18A in 2025, and Johnson described a “chiplet” design — smaller chips stitched together — including a separate graphics chiplet. Intel has struggled with yields on Panther Lake, Reuters reported, though executives have said those yields are improving month by month. 2
The near-term price debate sharpened after Melius Research upgraded Intel to “buy” and set a $50 price target, according to MarketBeat. That target sits about 17% above Wednesday’s price. In a separate commentary carried by MarketWatch, Melius analyst Ben Reitzes argued the stock remained “still a huge discount to TSMC.” 3
Other forecasts look less forgiving. Fintel data cited by Nasdaq put Intel’s average one-year price target at $37.52 as of Dec. 20, with estimates ranging from $18.18 to $54.60 — a spread that underlines how split views remain even after this week’s news. 4
From a trader’s point of view, Wednesday’s range tells the story: Intel has swung from $39.85 to $44.55 in the session. A clean break above that high would put the $50 analyst target back in play, while a slip back under the $40 area would test whether this week’s CES optimism is anything more than a pop.
But the risk case is easy to write. If yields stall, or if “AI PC” demand — laptops designed to run some AI features on-device — does not turn into orders and margins, the stock can give back gains quickly, especially with rivals still setting the pace in AI hardware.
What investors watch next is whether the CES launch turns into shipments and shelf space: Intel says systems using Core Ultra Series 3 start becoming available globally on Jan. 27. The next obvious checkpoint after that is Intel’s results, with the company’s earnings date listed as Jan. 29 on Yahoo Finance’s calendar. 5
