New York, January 27, 2026, 17:34 (EST) — Trading extended into after-hours session
- Intel shares bounced back in late Tuesday trading, clawing back some of last week’s sharp losses after its forecast
- A regulatory filing showed that Intel’s CFO purchased shares on the open market
- Investors are still focused on whether supply shortages will ease in the coming quarter
Intel Corp shares rose 3.4% to $43.93 in after-hours trading Tuesday, after swinging between $42.72 and $44.53 during the day. About 116 million shares changed hands.
Intel’s shares plunged 14% on Friday after its forecast missed the mark for a swift recovery. The drop came amid supply constraints limiting the company’s capacity to satisfy booming AI-related demand for data-center chips. Analysts at TD Cowen warned the recent surge was driven more by “the dream” than by actual fundamentals. 1
Timing couldn’t be more critical: Intel’s stock increasingly acts as a gauge for the chip cycle and U.S. manufacturing policy, just as rate forecasts pivot again. The Federal Reserve’s rate-setting panel meets January 27-28, putting tech valuations under a spotlight. 2
A Form 4 filing, the required insider disclosure for stock transactions, showed CFO David Zinsner bought 5,882 shares at $42.50 on Jan. 26. That raised his direct holdings to 247,392 shares. 3
Intel forecasted first-quarter revenue in the range of $11.7 billion to $12.7 billion last week, with adjusted earnings per share expected to break even. CFO Zinsner mentioned supply will hit its lowest point in Q1 but should improve starting in Q2. CEO Lip-Bu Tan said the company is “working aggressively to grow supply” and meet demand. 4
Tan told analysts he was “disappointed” Intel couldn’t fully meet demand, after the company admitted it was caught off guard by a surge in data-center CPUs paired with Nvidia’s AI-powered graphics chips. Michael Schulman, CIO at Running Point Capital, called the issue “supply-constrained rather than demand-constrained.” 5
The tougher question is whether Intel can turn this demand into profits without squeezing its margins even more. The company has put the spotlight on its upcoming “18A” manufacturing technology—a key step for new chips—but problems with manufacturing and supply chains linger. At the same time, rivals such as AMD are pushing hard to grab market share in PCs and servers. 6
U.S. stocks hit fresh highs, driven by strong earnings outlooks, even as tariff worries linger and the Fed’s decision looms. The risk appetite pulled investors back into chip stocks after last week’s volatile moves. 7
Insider buying isn’t a cure-all. Should supply chain problems persist into the second quarter, or if manufacturing yields and product mix keep pressuring margins, Intel’s rebound could disappear as fast as it showed up.
Wednesday wraps up the Fed’s two-day meeting, with Chair Jerome Powell scheduled to speak to reporters—a critical juncture that could move rate-sensitive tech stocks sharply. 8
