NEW YORK, Jan 9, 2026, 16:05 EST — After-hours
- Intel shares closed up 9.8% on Friday after Trump lauded CEO Lip-Bu Tan on social media
- The rally lands ahead of Intel’s Jan. 22 results, when investors want details on the chipmaker’s turnaround
- A softer U.S. jobs report kept rate-cut bets alive, supporting risk appetite late in the week
Intel Corp shares jumped on Friday, closing up 9.8% at $45.13 after President Donald Trump praised Chief Executive Lip-Bu Tan following a White House meeting. The stock touched $45.22 intraday, with about 120 million shares traded.
The move matters because Intel is heading into a closely watched earnings report with momentum — and little room for surprises. The company said it will report fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results after the market close on Jan. 22.
Trump met Tan on Thursday, according to a Bloomberg report that said the discussion touched Intel’s processor roadmap and the U.S. government’s position in the stock. The report said the government has amassed a stake of roughly 5.5%, with more set to be acquired.
Government involvement has been a running theme for Intel since Washington agreed in 2025 to take a roughly 10% stake under a deal converting federal support into equity, Reuters reported at the time. That backdrop has turned routine headlines into trading catalysts for a stock that is also tied to the broader U.S. push to expand domestic chipmaking.
The political spotlight cuts both ways. Reuters reported in December that Trump had previously attacked Tan on Truth Social, pressing for his resignation before Intel moved to secure access to the president and shore up the relationship.
Friday’s rally also played out against a calmer rate backdrop after a softer-than-expected U.S. payrolls report, which supported hopes for easier monetary policy later this year. “It’s an employment report that’s not too hot, not too cold,” Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Spartan Capital Securities, said. Reuters
Technically, Intel is now pressing its 52-week high after Friday’s spike, with the stock trading well above its 50-day moving average of $38.21. Those levels are likely to stay in play into earnings as momentum traders weigh how much of the run is sentiment versus fundamentals.
But there is an obvious risk case: Intel still has to execute on manufacturing and prove it can make its contract chip business — foundry, meaning it makes chips for outside customers — pay off. The company’s political ties and the government stake can also add a layer of uncertainty that some investors dislike, Reuters has reported.
Investors’ next hard catalyst is Jan. 22, when Intel is due to report results after the close and hold a conference call at 2 p.m. PT. Watchpoints include any change in guidance, updates on factory spending and timelines, and whether management can point to durable customer demand rather than another sentiment-driven pop.
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