NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 17:02 ET — Market closed
- Intel shares rose 6.7% on Friday, ending near the $40 mark after a broad chip-stock rebound.
- Traders now look to CES in Las Vegas, where Intel has scheduled a Monday evening launch event for its next PC processors.
- The week also brings key U.S. data, including the government’s monthly jobs report on Friday.
Intel (INTC.O) shares closed up 6.7% at $39.38 on Friday after trading between $37.41 and $39.86, extending a rebound in semiconductor stocks at the start of 2026.
The move matters because it puts Intel back within striking distance of $40, a round-number level traders often treat as a near-term line in the sand when markets reopen on Monday.
It also lands days before CES, when chipmakers and PC vendors typically set the tone for the first quarter with product roadmaps, partner lineups and early demand signals.
Chip stocks paced the broader market on Friday. The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor index rose 4% and the S&P 500 ended at a record close, Reuters reported. Joe Mazzola, head of trading and derivatives strategist at Charles Schwab, described the tape as “buy the dip, sell the rip” — a short-term approach of buying pullbacks and taking profits into rallies. Reuters
Nvidia gained about 1.2% on Friday and AMD rose about 4.3%, keeping the spotlight on the sector’s leaders heading into CES and the next batch of macro data.
Intel said it will host a CES launch event livestream on Monday, Jan. 5 at 3 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET) to debut its Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, codenamed Panther Lake.
CES schedules show Media Day continuing on Monday, with show-floor activity beginning Tuesday and running through Friday in Las Vegas.
Beyond CES headlines, investors are watching Intel’s next quarterly results for a check on whether it is tracking its own targets. In its third-quarter release, Intel forecast fourth-quarter revenue of $12.8 billion to $13.8 billion and adjusted (non-GAAP, or excluding certain items) earnings of 8 cents per share, and said the outlook excludes Altera after the majority stake sale.
The macro calendar is also in play for chip stocks, which can swing with interest-rate expectations. The Labor Department’s release schedule shows job openings data due Jan. 7, the December employment report on Jan. 9, and the CPI inflation report on Jan. 13.
But the setup carries risk. If yields push higher on stronger data — or if CES product messaging fails to convince buyers and investors — Friday’s rally could unwind quickly in a stock that has traded in sharp bursts around catalysts.
The next concrete catalyst for Intel shares is Monday’s CES launch livestream at 6 p.m. ET, with traders watching whether the stock can hold near $40 into that event.
