New York, Jan 14, 2026, 16:18 (EST) — After-hours
Intel shares climbed roughly 3% to $48.72 in after-hours trading Wednesday, pushing their two-day rally further. AMD ticked up about 1%, but Nvidia and Taiwan Semiconductor saw declines.
Intel surged again after Tuesday’s 7.3% jump, which closed the stock at $47.29 on heavy volume. KeyBanc’s upgrade and a new $60 price target sparked the move. Trading volume reached roughly 167 million shares, far exceeding recent averages, according to Nasdaq.com. 1
KeyBanc’s John Vinh described hyperscaler spending as a “significant tailwind” for Intel’s data-center segment, adding the company is “almost sold out” of server CPUs for the year. He mentioned Intel is considering a “10-15% ASP increase” and highlighted 18A chip yields “improving to over 60%,” a key industry benchmark for wafer efficiency. 2
KeyBanc linked its outlook to a recent analyst trip to Asia, noting that AI hardware demand is pushing through the supply chain and tightening memory availability across several markets. The firm warned the memory cycle might stay “stronger for longer,” with fresh capacity not anticipated until mid-2027. 3
Intel has been pushing to convince investors it can deliver on 18A, the advanced manufacturing tech meant for its own chips and contract-manufacturing clients. At CES last week, the company unveiled its Core Ultra Series 3 processors, the first platform built on 18A, and announced that systems using these chips will be available worldwide starting Jan. 27. 4
Intel remains in focus after its recent rally. Nasdaq.com highlighted the stock as one of the busiest in premarket trading Wednesday, following a session that saw it hit a 52-week high. 5
Still, the upgrade hinges heavily on AI-related spending staying strong and Intel’s knack for turning tight supply into better margins. If execution in 18A slips or big data-center buyers pull back, the pricing story could unravel fast.
Investors are closely monitoring if component shortages spill over into the PC market, which remains Intel’s largest revenue source, and whether rising costs force buyers to hold off on upgrades. A steep climb in the stock could make any such disruption pricier.
Intel is set to release its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results on Jan. 22, after U.S. markets close, followed by an earnings call later that day. 6
