Intel Reports Q4 Earnings Beat but Issues Soft Q1 Guidance
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 22 2026
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Should l Buy INTC?
Source: Newsfilter
Intel's stock is down 11.80% in pre-market trading, crossing below its 5-day SMA, reflecting investor concerns following its latest earnings report.
The company reported adjusted earnings per share of 15 cents for Q4, exceeding analyst expectations of 8 cents, with revenue of $13.7 billion slightly above the forecast. However, Intel's guidance for Q1 revenue is disappointing, projected between $11.7 billion and $12.7 billion, with adjusted earnings per share expected to be 0 cents, falling short of the 5 cents anticipated by analysts. This guidance reflects ongoing supply constraints affecting seasonal demand and a net loss of $600 million, highlighting challenges during its transition.
Despite the earnings beat, the soft guidance has raised concerns among investors, leading to a significant drop in stock price. The market's reaction indicates that while there is optimism in the AI market, the immediate outlook for Intel remains uncertain.
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Analyst Views on INTC
Wall Street analysts forecast INTC stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for INTC is 39.30 USD with a low forecast of 20.00 USD and a high forecast of 52.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
29 Analyst Rating
5 Buy
19 Hold
5 Sell
Hold
Current: 48.240
Low
20.00
Averages
39.30
High
52.00
Current: 48.240
Low
20.00
Averages
39.30
High
52.00
About INTC
Intel Corporation is a global designer and manufacturer of semiconductor products. The Company operates through three segments: Intel Products, Intel Foundry, and All Other. Its Intel Products segment includes Client Computing Group (CCG), Data Center and AI (DCAI), Network and Edge (NEX). The CCG is bringing together the operating system, system architecture, hardware, and software application integration to enable PC experiences. DCAI delivers workload-optimized solutions to cloud service providers and enterprises, along with silicon devices for communications service providers, network and edge, and HPC customers. NEX helps networks and edge compute systems from fixed-function hardware to general-purpose compute, acceleration, and networking devices running cloud native software on programmable hardware. The Intel Foundry segment comprises technology development, manufacturing and foundry services. All Other segments include Altera, Mobileye, Other.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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