NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2026, 07:40 ET — Premarket
- Intel shares were up about 1.8% in premarket trading after a 1.1% drop at the prior close.
- U.S. stock index futures were higher to start 2026, with heavyweight chip names firmer before the bell.
- Investors are watching Intel’s manufacturing roadmap and upcoming quarterly update for traction in its turnaround.
Intel Corp shares rose 1.8% to $37.56 in premarket trading by 7:09 a.m. ET on Friday, after ending the last session of 2025 down 1.1% at $36.90, MarketBeat data showed.
The move comes as U.S. stock index futures advanced on the first trading day of 2026 after declines in the final sessions of 2025, with tech-heavy names stabilizing before the opening bell. The Federal Reserve’s policy outlook and next week’s U.S. labor-market data are among the near-term drivers for risk appetite, Reuters reported.
For Intel, the new year is a pressure test on execution as investors look for proof that its turnaround can translate into steadier earnings and progress in its foundry business — contract chipmaking for other companies.
A key focus is Panther Lake, Intel’s next laptop processor built on its 18A manufacturing process, which the company has described as central to rebuilding its manufacturing edge. “Panther Lake is extremely important to Intel on many different levels,” Bob O’Donnell, chief analyst at Technalysis Research, said in an October Reuters report.
The foundry story remains more complicated. Reuters reported last week that Nvidia tested Intel’s 18A process but did not move forward, while an Intel spokesperson said the 18A technologies were progressing and that the company was seeing interest in its next-generation 14A process.
Intel has also leaned on high-profile partnerships to bolster confidence. Nvidia has purchased Intel shares worth $5 billion in a private placement carried out under a deal announced in September, Intel said in a filing, Reuters reported on Dec. 29.
Traders are also looking ahead to Intel’s next quarterly report for fresh guidance on PC and data-center demand, gross margin and the pace of cost discipline. Intel has not confirmed a next earnings publication date, but MarketBeat lists an estimated date of Jan. 29 after the market close, while the company’s investor-relations calendar currently shows no upcoming events scheduled.
What matters most for investors is whether Intel can show improving manufacturing yields — the share of usable chips from a wafer — as it ramps 18A, and whether it can translate process advances into named foundry customer wins.
Competitive benchmarks are clear. AMD remains Intel’s closest rival in PC processors, while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing is the dominant external foundry that sets the bar for advanced production, and Nvidia’s AI spending cycle continues to drive sentiment across the chip sector.
In the near term, Intel shares are likely to trade with the broader tech and semiconductor complex, which has been sensitive to shifts in rate-cut expectations and macro data that can move growth-stock valuations quickly.
Any new disclosures around Panther Lake availability, foundry order visibility, or major partner commitments are likely to carry outsized weight for Intel stock early in 2026.
