New York, Jan 18, 2026, 05:21 EST — Market closed.
Intel Corp (INTC) shares closed Friday down 2.8% at $46.96, with trading volume exceeding 127 million shares. Investors pulled back ahead of the long weekend and the company’s upcoming quarterly report.
U.S. markets remain shut Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, pushing the next opportunity to adjust portfolios to Tuesday. “Most investors will take that as a win,” said Anthony Saglimbene, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial, following a week when Wall Street ended largely flat. Reuters
Intel plans to release its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings after the market closes on Thursday, Jan. 22, followed by an earnings call at 2 p.m. PT.
Options—contracts letting traders buy or sell shares at a fixed price—suggest Intel could swing 7.73% by the end of next week, according to Barchart data. Citi analyst Atif Malik, who upgraded his rating to neutral, described Intel’s foundry push—producing chips for other companies—as a “unique window of opportunity,” despite expected volatility in near-term results. Barchart noted analysts forecast a 2-cent-per-share loss for the quarter. Barchart.com
Intel fell despite the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) climbing roughly 1.6% on Friday. AMD edged up 1.7%, while Nvidia slid 0.5%.
After the close, Intel announced it hired Eric Demers, the former head of Qualcomm’s GPU engineering, to lead its GPU efforts focused on AI for data centers, Demers told CRN. Anshel Sag, principal analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy, said the move is “bigger than people realize,” highlighting how rare experienced GPU architects are. CRN
Intel shares have climbed roughly 27% in 2026, closing at $46.96 on Jan. 16, compared to $36.90 at the end of last year. This rally raises the stakes on the company’s guidance—investors expect projections that justify this sharp jump.
The bigger question on Thursday is the outlook. Traders will watch closely for any changes in spending plans and look for signs Intel can attract new customers to its foundry operation—a costly gamble the market has alternated between backing and doubting.
That said, the situation works both ways. Should management turn cautious or margins slip once more, the stock might surrender much of its January rally fast—especially since options markets are already bracing for a big move.
Wall Street closed Friday slightly in the red, wrapping up the opening week of earnings season. The S&P 500 slipped 0.1%, while the Nasdaq also dropped 0.1%, the Associated Press reported.
Intel traders will zero in on Tuesday’s reopening following the long weekend and Thursday’s earnings release after market close. The 2 p.m. PT earnings call could shape investor sentiment for the company’s turnaround through January.
