Intel (INTC) stock has rallied significantly heading into the company\u2019s earnings release on Jan. 22, but a senior Citi analyst Atif Malik believes it will push higher still in 2026.<\/p>\n
According to Barchart, the semiconductor behemoth is expected to lose $0.02 a share in its fiscal Q4, roughly unchanged from the same quarter last year.<\/p>\n
Still, Malik raised his rating on the company this week to \u201cNeutral.\u201d His upgrade is significant given\u00a0Intel stock is already up more than 160% versus its 52-week low.<\/p>\n In his research note, Atif Malik recommended that investors focus on the long-term story in INTC stock instead of near-term earnings volatility.<\/p>\n Importantly, recent reports suggest Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) has recently told Nvidia (NVDA) and Broadcom (AVGO) that it\u2019s facing a capacity crunch.<\/p>\n This \u2013 according to the Citi analyst \u2013 is a \u201cunique window of opportunity\u201d for Intel to secure major foundry customers and remove a lingering overhang from its stock.<\/p>\n Additionally, Intel has done a great job in right-sizing the business and improving its balance sheet, which may add to the bullish momentum moving forward.<\/p>\n For Intel shares, options data is largely skewed to the upside as well. Derivatives contracts expiring mid-April currently have the upper price set at about $56,\u00a0according to Barchart.<\/p>\n In the near-term (through the end of next week) also, the implied move is 7.73%, which means the\u00a0semiconductor stock could be trading at north of $50 by as soon as Jan. 23.<\/p>\n Historically, this California-based giant has gained more than 2% in February. This seasonal trend further boosts confidence in buying INTC ahead of its Q4 earnings next week.<\/p>\n Note that Intel\u2019s relative strength index (14-day) sits at about 66 currently, reinforcing that the bullish momentum is not fully exhausted yet.<\/p>\n While INTC shares have already exploded higher in recent months, Wall Street remains adequately positive on them for the next 12 months.<\/p>\n The\u00a0consensus rating on Intel stock sits at \u201cHold\u201d only, but price objectives currently go as high as $60, indicating potential upside of roughly 30% from here.<\/p>\n This article was created with the support of automated content tools from our partners at Sigma.AI. Together, our financial data and AI solutions help us to deliver more informed market headline analysis to readers faster than ever.<\/i><\/p>\n On the date of publication, Wajeeh 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. This article was originally\u00a0published on Barchart.com <\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
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