INTC INTEL CORP

Price Chart

Executive Summary

Freedom Broker double-upgraded Intel Corp (INTC) from Hold to Buy on April 28, 2026, setting a $100 price target. The stock currently trades at $121.77, implying 17.9% downside to the new target, making this a contrarian bullish call against the current price. Freedom Broker has a 66% accuracy rate on 68 calls with an 11.8% average return, placing it in the above-average tier. Consensus is heavily skewed toward Hold (33 of 54 analysts), with only 18 Buy ratings and 3 Sells; the mean target is $87.76, median $83, high $150, low $20.40. The $100 PT sits above the mean and median but below the current price, reflecting a cautious bullish view. No other upgrades or downgrades occurred in the past 30 days, but EPS revisions have been overwhelmingly positive — 31 upward revisions in the last 30 days for the current quarter and 35 for the fiscal year. Insider selling of $4M by Miller Boise April on May 1 diverges from the bullish analyst signal, while institutional activity is mixed: FMR LLC added 90.8% and Norges Bank initiated a $2.2B position, but Bank of America trimmed 27.8%. Short interest is elevated at 58.4% of off-exchange volume, suggesting heavy bearish positioning. The next earnings report is due July 22, 2026. Bottom line: a high-accuracy firm making a contrarian double upgrade against a bearish consensus and elevated short interest is a meaningful signal, but the PT below the current price and insider selling temper conviction.

Impact Score

Consensus & Targets

Consensus: 18 Buy (4 Strong Buy, 14 Buy), 33 Hold, 3 Sell (3 Sell, 0 Strong Sell) — 54 analysts total. That's 33% Buy, 61% Hold, 6% Sell. The consensus is heavily neutral-to-bearish, with the majority on Hold. Freedom Broker's upgrade to Buy places it in the minority bullish camp.

Current price: $121.77. Mean target: $87.76 (implied downside 27.9%). Median target: $83.00 (implied downside 31.8%). High target: $150.00 (implied upside 23.2%). Low target: $20.40. Freedom Broker's $100 PT is above the mean and median but below the current price, implying downside from here. The PT is 14.0% above the mean and 20.5% above the median, showing a relatively bullish stance within the consensus.

Recent Analyst Activity

No upgrades or downgrades in the past 30 days besides this one. EPS revision momentum is strongly positive: 31 upward revisions vs 0 downward for the current quarter, 26 up vs 3 down for next quarter, 35 up vs 0 down for the current fiscal year, and 35 up vs 0 down for next fiscal year. Estimates are being revised higher across all periods, supporting the bullish thesis.

Firm Track Record — Freedom Broker

Freedom Broker accuracy: 66% on 68 calls | avg return: 11.8%

Industry benchmark: mean 51% ± 11%. Top tier: ≥61% (mean + 1σ). Based on 15 firms with ≥5 scored calls.

Freedom Broker has a 66% accuracy rate (45 correct out of 68 scored calls) with an 11.8% average return, placing it in the above-average tier. Among firms covering INTC, top performers include Seaport Global (100% on 2 calls), Morgan Stanley (80% on 5 calls), and Goldman Sachs (75% on 4 calls). Lower-accuracy firms include Baird (50% on 2 calls, -6.7% avg return) and Northland Capital Markets (50% on 2 calls, -3.8% avg return). Freedom Broker's track record is solid but not elite.

Earnings Estimates

Next earnings: Jul 22, 2026

Cross-Platform Signals

Insider activity: one SELL of $4.0M by Miller Boise April on May 1 — a bearish signal that diverges from the upgrade. Congressional activity: one small SELL ($1k-$15k) by Rep. Dwight Evans on May 7 — negligible. Institutional changes: FMR LLC added 90.8% ($1.0B position), Norges Bank initiated a new $2.2B position, Renaissance Technologies doubled (+191.5%, $365M), and Ariel Investments added 57.8% ($56M). Bank of America trimmed 27.8% ($931M). Overall institutional activity is heavily bullish, with major new/add positions outweighing the trim. Short interest is 58.4% of off-exchange volume, indicating elevated bearish positioning that could fuel a squeeze if the stock moves higher. The convergence of strong institutional buying and positive EPS revisions with the analyst upgrade is a powerful bullish signal, partially offset by insider selling.

Documents Analyzed

Report based on filing metadata.

US Market Status