NEW YORK, Jan 17, 2026, 17:43 ET — The market has closed for the day.
Intel (INTC.O) shares ended Friday down 2.8%, closing at $46.96 after fluctuating between $50.15 and $46.73 during the day.
Intel’s recent retreat follows a strong run earlier this year. The stock has climbed 31% in 2026, building on an 84% surge last year, Bloomberg noted. With earnings coming up next week, expectations are now higher than ever.
The decline stood out as chip stocks gained on Friday, with the Philadelphia SE Semiconductor index climbing 1.2%. U.S. markets will be closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “We’re at the start of the earnings season,” noted Anthony Saglimbene, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial. Reuters
Jefferies bumped up its price target for Intel to $45 from $40 but maintained a Hold rating, according to Investing.com on Friday.
Jefferies analyst Blayne Curtis warned in an earnings preview that Intel’s full-year outlook might prove “relatively disappointing.” He pointed to tight server capacity, sluggish PC sales, and margin pressure—the portion of revenue remaining after expenses. TipRanks
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co is boosting the sector with a bigger spending plan. TSMC announced it will raise its 2026 capital expenditure to between $52 billion and $56 billion, Reuters reported Thursday.
Investors have been counting on Intel’s drive to grab more foundry contracts — building chips for other firms — as it works to stabilize its core PC and data-center units. But Friday’s selloff revealed just how fragile that confidence can be once traders begin adjusting ahead of a major earnings report.
Intel plans to release its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings after market close on Thursday, Jan. 22. The company will follow up with a conference call at 2 p.m. PT, it announced.
Zacks Investment Research forecasts quarterly revenue around $13.37 billion, with earnings per share coming in near 8 cents.
Options traders are gearing up for a big swing. OptionSlam data points to an implied move near 9% for the week of Intel’s earnings — that’s the expected price range baked into options around the announcement.
The setup works both ways. A cautious view on demand or new signs of margin pressure could weigh heavily on the stock, especially after its recent surge; any indication that losses from Intel’s foundry expansion are growing would only add to concerns.
As U.S. markets reopen Tuesday, traders will be keen to see if the chip rally sustains after the long weekend and whether Intel can maintain momentum ahead of its Jan. 22 earnings report.
