NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2025, 10:37 a.m. ET — Market closed
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) heads into the final trading days of 2025 with U.S. markets shut for the weekend and investors parsing a mix of year-end positioning, fresh semiconductor headlines, and a still-divided Wall Street outlook on the chipmaker’s turnaround.
Intel stock finished Friday’s regular session at $36.20, up 0.11%, on volume of about 28.8 million shares. In after-hours trading at 7:59 p.m. ET, the stock ticked down to about $36.07 (down roughly 0.36%), signaling a relatively quiet end to a holiday-thinned session. [1]
Market backdrop: thin holiday trading, modest index moves
Friday’s broader tape offered little drama: the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite slipped modestly while the Dow edged higher, with trading described as lighter than usual as many institutional desks remain in year-end mode. [2]
That “thin-liquidity” setting matters for INTC (and semis generally) because it can exaggerate day-to-day moves on relatively modest flows—especially around popular year-end themes like AI hardware exposure, U.S. industrial policy, and tax-driven portfolio adjustments.
Where Intel stock stands going into Monday
With the market closed today, Intel’s next major price discovery won’t come until Monday’s regular session. Here’s what investors typically focus on heading into the reopen:
- Whether weekend headlines shift sentiment on Intel Foundry’s roadmap and customer traction.
- Any analyst note changes that can move a heavily-covered mega-cap name quickly in a low-news week.
- How semiconductors trade as a group—Intel often moves with (and sometimes lags) peers when the sector rotates risk-on or risk-off.
For reference, Intel traded Friday between roughly $35.85 and $36.49, and volume was well below longer-run averages, consistent with late-December conditions. [3]
The latest Intel news in the last 24–48 hours: “bigger packages,” bigger ambitions
One of the most-circulated Intel-related headlines over the last two days came from the hardware press—not from a quarterly filing.
Tom’s Hardware reported that Intel showcased a conceptual plan for extreme multi-chiplet packaging—a design vision that would dramatically scale multi-die systems well beyond today’s largest accelerators. The concept described includes configurations such as 16 compute elements and up to 24 HBM5 stacks, leveraging Intel packaging technologies like Foveros Direct 3D and EMIB-style interconnect approaches. [4]
For investors, this kind of news tends to land in a very specific way: it’s not near-term revenue, but it reinforces the strategic narrative that Intel wants to be more than a CPU company—positioning itself as a long-cycle supplier of advanced packaging and foundry services that can compete for the most demanding AI-era silicon designs.
CEO messaging: “New Intel” narrative gets a year-end push
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan has also used year-end communications to frame 2025 as a cultural and operational reset. In a recent public post, Tan described 2025 as “a defining year,” thanking customers, partners, investors and employees while emphasizing the foundation of a “New Intel.” [5]
Market reaction to executive messaging can be subtle, but it matters most when it’s paired with measurable milestones—improving margins, credible node execution, and evidence that external customers are willing to commit meaningful production volume.
Foundry execution remains the “make-or-break” debate
Intel’s long-term valuation argument is still tightly tied to its ability to execute on leading-edge manufacturing and convince customers that Intel Foundry is competitive with established leaders.
That debate resurfaced this week after a Reuters report spotlighted Intel’s unusual position at the center of Washington industrial policy and high-profile funding relationships—while also underscoring that the turnaround depends on “regaining chip manufacturing leadership.” [6]
Separately, recent reporting has indicated that Nvidia had tested Intel’s 18A process but stopped moving forward, a reminder that credibility in foundry is earned through yields, performance, and predictable ramp timelines—not just roadmaps. [7]
Intel management has argued the company is making steady progress. In Intel’s most recent quarterly results release, Tan said the company is seeing “improved execution,” and CFO David Zinsner pointed to balance-sheet strengthening and stated that current demand is outpacing supply, a trend Intel said it expects to persist into 2026. [8]
Wall Street forecasts: consensus remains cautious—even after a strong 2025 move
If there’s one place investors see the split view on Intel most clearly, it’s in the dispersion of ratings and targets.
MarketBeat’s compilation shows Intel with a consensus “Reduce” rating, with the mix heavily skewed toward Holds and Sells, and an average 12-month price target of $34.84—implying a modest downside from Friday’s close (though MarketBeat’s own methodology and data set can differ from other aggregators). [9]
At the same time, MarketWatch’s analyst snapshot points to a higher set of targets—an average around $38.48 with a median of $40, and a wide high/low range that reflects how uncertain investors remain about the upside scenario versus execution risks. [10]
The takeaway for investors heading into next week: the Street is not priced into a single narrative. Bulls tend to underwrite a credible Intel Foundry ramp plus a healthier PC/data-center cycle, while bears focus on competitive pressure and the risk that external customers remain hesitant.
The next major catalyst: earnings expectations and guidance follow-through
Intel’s most recent official guidance (from its Q3 2025 report) called for Q4 2025 revenue of $12.8 billion to $13.8 billion, with GAAP EPS attributable to Intel of $(0.14) and non-GAAP EPS of $0.08. [11]
For many long-only investors, the “next session” question isn’t just Monday’s open—it’s whether Intel can string together another quarter where execution, outlook, and manufacturing commentary all support the turnaround thesis.
Calendar-wise, Nasdaq’s earnings calendar listings have pointed to an estimated report date of Jan. 29, 2026 (investors typically treat these as subject to change until Intel confirms). [12]
Capital returns check: buybacks authorization exists, but activity has been muted
One more factor that can matter for INTC sentiment—especially into year-end—is capital return.
Intel discloses that it has an ongoing authorization to repurchase shares, and as of Sept. 27, 2025, it reported $7.24 billion remaining under its authorization (with no buybacks reported in 2025’s quarters listed on the page). [13]
That doesn’t mean buybacks are imminent, but it does shape expectations: if operating trends stabilize and funding needs become clearer, investors often ask whether Intel will prioritize reinvestment, balance-sheet repair, or renewed capital returns.
What investors should know before Monday’s open
With markets closed today, Intel investors may want to keep three practical points in view ahead of the next session:
- Holiday liquidity can distort moves. Friday’s below-average volume suggests price swings early next week may not reflect “new fundamentals,” especially if headlines are light. [14]
- Foundry headlines can move the stock quickly. Even conceptual technology updates (like advanced packaging visions) can swing sentiment because they feed directly into the longer-term foundry investment case. [15]
- Analyst targets are still wide—and that’s the signal. When consensus ratings skew cautious while upside targets exist, it often means investors want clearer proof on execution, not just plans. [16]
As the last week of the year begins, Intel stock sits in a familiar crossroads for 2025’s narrative: the market has already rewarded “turnaround possibility,” but the next leg depends on “turnaround proof.”
References
1. www.wsj.com, 2. www.barchart.com, 3. www.marketwatch.com, 4. www.tomshardware.com, 5. x.com, 6. www.reuters.com, 7. www.reuters.com, 8. www.intc.com, 9. www.marketbeat.com, 10. www.marketwatch.com, 11. www.intc.com, 12. www.nasdaq.com, 13. www.intc.com, 14. www.marketwatch.com, 15. www.tomshardware.com, 16. www.marketbeat.com
