NEW YORK, Jan 18, 2026, 16:09 EST — Market closed
- Intel shares slipped Friday ahead of the company’s quarterly earnings report.
- The stock’s rapid climb early in 2026 has shifted focus onto guidance as much as on the actual results.
- U.S. markets reopen Tuesday following the holiday, while Intel is set to report earnings Thursday after the close.
Intel shares slipped 2.8% on Friday, ending at $46.96, marking a late retreat that tightens the leash as the stock heads into a crucial week.
Intel’s next major milestone is Thursday, with fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results set to drop after the market closes. The company will also hold its earnings call at 2 p.m. PT.
Intel has turned into a momentum play once more. The stock has surged 31% in 2026 already, hovering near a two-year peak. That follows a hefty 84% rally in 2025, per Bloomberg data.
The rally got a boost from an uncommon bullish shift on Wall Street earlier this month. KeyBanc analysts reported their checks indicated Intel and AMD had “largely sold out” their projected 2026 server CPU capacity. They also called Intel’s “18A” process “enough to convince us it could credibly be the #2 foundry supplier” after TSMC. Investopedia
Friday’s slide happened despite chip stocks mostly holding steady. An index tracking semiconductors actually rose 1.2% that day, according to Reuters. With U.S. markets closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the lead-up to Intel’s earnings report is looking a bit quieter.
Options traders are zeroing in on the upcoming earnings release. According to Barchart, derivatives pricing signals an expected move of roughly 7.7% through the end of next week — a reflection of the market’s anticipation around the event. Citigroup analyst Atif Malik highlighted a “unique window of opportunity” for Intel to attract foundry customers amid tightening capacity elsewhere. Barchart.com
Investors are keen to catch any shift in Intel’s outlook on demand for its PC and data-center chips. They’ll also be watching for details on the contract-manufacturing segment the company aims to expand. Intel’s foundry effort targets making chips for third-party clients, a market currently led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
Investors will seek clarity on how much of the recent jump in Intel’s share price stems from hopeful expectations versus actual orders. Intel’s earnings report comes early in the season, and if management’s comments don’t match the prevailing bullish bets, sentiment could turn sharply.
Beyond the raw figures, product rollout timing is critical in the near term. Intel announced that systems featuring its Core Ultra Series 3 processors will hit global markets on Jan. 27, following pre-orders that kicked off earlier this month.
There’s plenty that could trip things up. A revenue or margin miss, conservative 2026 outlook, or any sign of setbacks in advanced manufacturing could rattle a stock that’s already seen a big reprice. Competition remains fierce, both from AMD in CPUs and across the wider AI chip supply chain.
U.S. markets resume Tuesday, but all eyes will quickly shift to Thursday’s after-hours earnings report. The real spotlight, however, is on Intel’s 2026 outlook. After that, the next major event won’t hit until late January, when new products start shipping.
