In equity markets, stock prices have been the ultimate lead indicator. Therefore, the impact or the real story behind any news is often reflected in the stock price. The resignation of Intel’s (INTC) chief accounting officer, Scott Gawel, can be considered as a potential red flag.
However, INTC stock is telling a different story. The momentum remains positive and it’s likely that new highs will be scaled in the coming days. The bullish trend is backed by the stellar Q1 results coupled with an optimistic growth outlook. Therefore, the resignation of the CAO seems like a nonissue as markets continue to focus on the growth triggers.
The most recent one being Tesla (TSLA) and SpaceX having plans to deploy Intel’s 14A manufacturing process for their semiconductor facility. Additionally, server CPU shortages will translate into growth and potential margin expansion.
About Intel Stock
Headquartered in Santa Clara, Intel is a designer and manufacturer of semiconductor products. In a rapidly evolving technology landscape, Intel is building for the future to support the rapid adoption of AI across industries. The demand points include data centers, AI inference, agentic AI, and physical AI. Intel operates across two broad segments of CCG and DCAI.
The CCG delivers platforms and processors to power PCs and edge devices. On the other hand, the DCAI delivers workload-optimized solutions that’s based on x86 architecture for data centers.
Besides this, the Intel Foundry is developing semiconductor process technologies and advanced packaging technologies. With focus on R&D and innovation, the foundry division is a likely value creator in the coming years. In particular, as Intel offers Intel Foundry services to external customers.
As Intel makes a strong comeback through innovation, INTC stock has surged by 126.8% in the last six months. With factors of growth from agentic artificial intelligence and resurgence of the foundry business, the price-action is likely to remain positive.
Intel Foundry Can Create Value
For Q1 FY26, Intel reported income of $5.4 billion from the foundry business. For the same period, the segment operating loss was $2.4 billion. However, with Intel its services to external customers, the segment can be a wealth creator.
One potential game-changer in the foundry business is 18A, which has 15% better performance per watt and 30% better chip density as compared to Intel 3 process node. It’s also likely to be the earliest available sub-2nm advanced node that’s manufactured in North America. In Q1, the company described 18A’s progress “ahead of expectations.”
At the same time, 14A has been in the news with Tesla likely to be the first major customer. Notably, Musk’s Terafab is expected to produce one terawatt of computing capacity a year. Currently, half a terawatt of computing capacity is generated in the U.S. This puts into perspective the scale of the project and the impending benefits for Intel.
What Do Analysts Say About INTC Stock?
Based on 44 analysts with coverage, INTC stock has a consensus “Hold” rating. While eight analysts have a “Strong Buy” rating for INTC stock, one analyst has a “Moderate Buy,” and a majority of 32 analysts have a “Hold” rating. Among the bears, one analyst has a “Moderate Sell” rating, with two analysts opining that INTC stock is a “Strong Sell.”
The mean price target of $75 represents potential downside of 20.8% from current levels. However, the most bullish price target of $111 suggests that INTC stock could climb 17.23% from here.
Conclusion
Jeff Kilburg, founder and CEO of KKM Financial, opines that “the chipmaker still has significant upside potential.” The bullish view is backed by the foundry business turnaround coupled with the TerraFab development, which is a long-term growth catalyst.
Finally, analysts expect earnings growth of 591.67% and 45.76% for FY26 and FY27, respectively. The strong growth momentum in an industry with multi-year tailwinds is likely to keep sentiments positive for INTC stock.
On the date of publication, Faisal Humayun Khan did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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