New York, June 25, 2026, 07:08 EDT
- Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) closed at $131.65, down around 7% from its June 22 high of $141.45.
- Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) started coverage on Intel at Neutral and put the price target at $150. FactSet showed Intel’s average target at $101.57.
- On June 24, there were still more calls than puts on Intel, but CBOE/Fintel numbers showed both call and put volume lagged their 20-day averages.
- Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) and Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) put chip stocks in focus, sending Nasdaq futures higher ahead of the open.
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) is back near record highs, but shares are getting ahead of analyst targets while options activity has faded. The run-up doesn’t tell the whole story.
The U.S. regular session was still closed at the dateline. Nasdaq’s pre-market ran from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET, with regular trading set to run until 4:00 p.m. ET.
Intel INTC finished Wednesday at $131.65, after swinging from $127.95 to $136.08 in the session. On Monday the stock touched $141.45, the top in its latest five-day range, but then lost ground for two straight sessions. Trading volume dropped Wednesday to 104.59 million shares, compared with 132.98 million on Tuesday and 127.19 million on Monday.
Intel’s rally is more than just price action now. It’s a fight over what it’s worth. FactSet data put the median target for Intel at $100 with the average target at $101.57. Shares are at $131.65. The highest target out there is $200, while the lowest is $45, according to .
Goldman Sachs analyst James Schneider launched coverage on Intel with a Neutral rating and set a $150 price target. Schneider pointed to possible upside from Intel’s foundry business and status as a U.S. chip “champion,” but noted that Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) and Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) have stronger revenue visibility and a better risk/reward at current valuations. TipRanks
Options action is quieter than a week ago. Intel call volume reached 311,498 contracts on June 24, according to CBOE figures from Fintel. Puts landed at 140,561 contracts. Calls ran at 67.36% of the 20-day average, while puts were 52.49% of their average.
Short-sale marks dropped. Fintel’s off-exchange FINRA data had Intel short-sale volume at 40.64% of FINRA volume on June 24, down from 53.36% on June 23 and 54.39% on June 22. That figure doesn’t confirm outright directional short selling, but signals less short-marked trade in the latest session.
Timing is the other question. Reuters said Wednesday neither Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) nor Intel has officially confirmed a deal, and that Intel’s advanced chips might take two to three years to produce. “It’s a huge leap of faith and commercial and financial risk,” Malcolm Penn, CEO of Future Horizons, said. Reuters
Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 2.21% before the bell, with chip stocks trading stronger after outlooks from Micron and Qualcomm pointed to more demand tied to AI infrastructure. Daniela Hathorn, senior market analyst at Capital.com, said Micron’s update gave U.S. equities “fresh reassurance.” Reuters
The Reuters report also noted that the Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index (INDEXNASDAQ:SOX) looks set for its biggest quarter ever. Still, the index is having its worst week since the start of the Middle East fighting this year. That mix is a challenge for Intel investors. The sector remains in play, but the AI trade is no longer lifting every name.
