NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2026, 17:29 ET — After-hours
- Intel was up 6.7% at $39.38 in after-hours trading, after a strong first session of 2026.
- Chip shares outperformed as investors positioned for next week’s U.S. jobs report and the start of earnings season.
- Intel is set to headline CES next week with a Jan. 5 event around its “Panther Lake” PC processors.
Intel Corp (INTC.O) shares were up 6.7% at $39.38 in after-hours trading on Friday, after the 4 p.m. ET close, as chip stocks led a rebound to start 2026.
The rally comes as markets head into the first full week of the year with the monthly U.S. jobs report due on Jan. 9 and quarterly earnings season around the corner. Investors are also awaiting a U.S. Supreme Court decision on President Donald Trump’s tariffs and his pick for the next Federal Reserve chair, Reuters reported.
Intel also heads into the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week, where it has scheduled a Jan. 5 launch event for its latest Core Ultra Series 3 PC processors, code-named Panther Lake. The company said Jim Johnson, senior vice president and general manager of its Client Computing Group, will lead the livestream at 3 p.m. PST (6 p.m. ET).
Chip stocks helped lift Wall Street on Friday, with the Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index — a benchmark for U.S.-listed chipmakers — up 4% at the close, Reuters reported. Joe Mazzola, head of trading and derivatives strategy at Charles Schwab, called it a “buy the dip, sell the rip” market, where investors buy pullbacks and sell rebounds. Reuters
Intel traded between $37.41 and $39.86 in the regular session and opened at $37.81. About 95 million shares had changed hands by late afternoon.
Semiconductor stocks can be especially sensitive to swings in interest-rate expectations because much of their valuation rests on future earnings. Hotter jobs data tends to push yields higher, which can pressure long-duration growth shares.
CES adds another near-term catalyst for the sector. The show’s official schedule lists an AMD keynote on Jan. 5, keeping investor focus on the PC and AI chip road map heading into the week.
Product launches at CES are watched closely because they can signal how quickly laptop makers adopt new processors and how much pricing power suppliers can command early in the year.
Intel’s investor relations calendar currently lists no upcoming events, leaving the timing of its next earnings update unannounced. That puts more weight on management’s next guidance — its forecast for revenue and profit — when it does report.
Investors will listen for commentary on PC demand after the holiday quarter and on Intel’s efforts to expand its foundry business, which makes chips for outside customers. Those updates matter as Intel faces tough competition from AMD in PCs and servers and from Nvidia in AI accelerators.
The stock’s move brought it within reach of $40, a level traders often treat as a psychological marker. A break above that threshold can attract momentum buying, while a retreat would test whether Friday’s surge was a one-day reset or the start of a new leg.
Intel shares were last up 6.7% in after-hours trading. Investors will watch CES headlines next week and the Jan. 9 jobs report for the next push in the sector.
