New York, January 27, 2026, 17:34 (EST) — After-hours trading session
- Intel shares climbed in late Tuesday trading, recovering somewhat after last week’s steep fall following its forecast
- A regulatory filing revealed that Intel’s CFO bought shares on the open market
- Investors remain fixated on whether supply shortages will ease during this quarter
Intel Corp shares climbed 3.4% to $43.93 in after-hours trading Tuesday, following intraday swings between $42.72 and $44.53. Roughly 116 million shares traded hands.
The stock took a sharp hit after Intel’s outlook fell short of expectations for a quick rebound. Shares tumbled 14% on Friday, weighed down by supply shortages that capped the company’s ability to meet AI-driven demand for data-center chips. TD Cowen analysts cautioned that the recent rally was fueled more by “the dream” than by solid fundamentals. (Reuters)
Timing is crucial as Intel’s stock now trades like a barometer for the chip cycle and U.S. manufacturing policy, right as rate forecasts shift once more. The Federal Reserve’s rate-setting panel meets January 27-28, bringing tech valuations sharply into focus. (Federal Reserve)
A Form 4 filing — the mandatory insider report for stock trades — revealed CFO David Zinsner purchased 5,882 shares at $42.50 on Jan. 26. This move increased his direct stake to 247,392 shares. (SEC)
Intel last week projected first-quarter revenue between $11.7 billion and $12.7 billion, with adjusted earnings per share expected to hover near break-even. “We expect our available supply to be at its lowest level in Q1 before improving in Q2 and beyond,” CFO Zinsner noted. CEO Lip-Bu Tan added that Intel is “working aggressively to grow supply” to meet demand. (Intel Corporation)
Tan told analysts he was “disappointed” Intel couldn’t fully keep up with demand, after the company admitted it was blindsided by a spike in data-center central processing units (CPUs) paired with Nvidia’s AI-driven graphics chips. Running Point Capital CIO Michael Schulman described the situation as “supply-constrained rather than demand-constrained.” (Reuters)
The bigger challenge lies in whether Intel can convert that demand into profits without hurting its margins further. The company has highlighted its upcoming “18A” manufacturing technology—a crucial process for new chips—but manufacturing and supply issues persist. Meanwhile, competitors like AMD are aggressively targeting market share in PCs and servers. (Financial Times)
U.S. stocks climbed to new highs, fueled by upbeat earnings forecasts, despite ongoing tariff concerns and the upcoming Fed announcement. The risk-on mood brought buyers back to chip stocks following last week’s sharp swings. (Reuters)
Insider buys won’t solve everything. If supply issues drag on through the second quarter, or if manufacturing yields and product mix continue to squeeze margins, Intel’s rebound might vanish just as quickly as it appeared.
Wednesday brings the end of the Fed’s two-day meeting, with Chair Jerome Powell set to address reporters—a key moment that could swing rate-sensitive tech shares either way. (Federal Reserve)
