New York, Jan 28, 2026, 1:19 PM (EST) — Regular session
- Intel shares jump roughly 10% in early afternoon trading.
- Chipmakers rose on strong cues from Texas Instruments and ASML.
- A filing reveals Intel CFO David Zinsner purchased shares in the company on Monday.
Intel Corp shares climbed 10.4%, reaching $48.51 by 1:19 p.m. EST Wednesday. The stock peaked at $49.22 and dipped as low as $45.78 during the session. Trading volume hit roughly 129 million shares.
The surge followed a wider rally in semiconductors as investors searched for signs that AI data center demand—those huge server farms powering AI models—is spreading beyond a handful of big names. Texas Instruments raised its quarterly outlook, while ASML’s bookings, a key gauge of new orders, came in nearly double analyst forecasts. Nvidia, Micron, and AMD all gained ground as well. “Companies across the broader supply chain … are expanding their growth plans,” said Louise Dudley, portfolio manager for global equities at Federated Hermes. Reuters
The broader market lent support. The S&P 500 inched past 7,000 briefly, marking a first, as traders digested the Federal Reserve’s latest rate move alongside a fresh batch of megacap earnings.
Intel caught the market’s eye with insider buying activity. A recent regulatory filing revealed that CFO David Zinsner snapped up 5,882 shares on Jan. 26 at $42.50 apiece, boosting his total direct stake to 247,392 shares.
Intel’s shares plunged 17% last Friday following a disappointing forecast that missed quarterly revenue and profit expectations. The company also flagged difficulties meeting demand for server chips powering AI data centers. “You have to put up the revenue growth to justify the run-up,” said Julian McManus, a portfolio manager at Janus Henderson. Reuters
Intel projected first-quarter revenue between $11.7 billion and $12.7 billion, with adjusted earnings roughly breaking even. On the earnings call, CFO Zinsner noted that supply would hit its lowest point in Q1 but should improve as the year progresses.
That bounce, however, doesn’t resolve the bigger issue Intel faces: can it scale up supply quickly enough without running into new manufacturing or logistics problems? Any further delays in server-chip availability might send the stock sliding again.
Investors are eyeing whether the chip rally signals a wider re-rating or just a short-lived risk-on spike before central-bank announcements and earnings reports. In any case, Intel usually follows the broader semiconductor trend when the sector heats up.
The next key event is set for Wednesday, with the Fed unveiling its policy decision at 2 p.m. EST. About half an hour later, Chair Jerome Powell will address the press.
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