TLDR
- BNP Paribas upgraded Intel from Underperform to Neutral, raising its price target from $34 to $60.
- HSBC upgraded Intel to Buy with a price target of $95, up from $50, citing server CPU momentum not yet priced in.
- KeyBanc rates Intel Overweight with a $70 target, saying the “real cyclical recovery has yet to begin.”
- Intel stock is up 82% year-to-date, driven by hyperscaler demand for CPUs.
- Analysts believe the AI infrastructure-driven recovery could extend at least through 2027.
Intel (INTC) is having a year that’s hard to ignore. The chipmaker’s stock is up 82% since January, and Tuesday brought fresh momentum as multiple analysts upgraded their ratings and price targets on the same day.
BNP Paribas analyst David O’Connor moved Intel from Underperform to Neutral on Monday, lifting his price target from $34 to $60. O’Connor had been one of only five analysts out of 49 covering the stock with a Sell or equivalent rating, according to FactSet data.
His reasoning was straightforward. “Agentic AI is driving very strong demand for server CPUs, with hyperscalers scrambling to secure supply,” O’Connor wrote in his note.
Intel stock fell 4.1% on Monday before rebounding Tuesday, rising around 1.5% to $66.70 in early trading. The Monday dip came after Intel had risen in 11 of the previous 12 trading sessions dating back to March 31.
KeyBanc Says Recovery Has More Room
KeyBanc analysts, led by John Vinh, maintained their Overweight rating on Intel with a $70 price target. Their view: the market hasn’t fully priced in how durable this recovery could be.
“The real cyclical recovery has yet to begin,” Vinh wrote Monday. He added that Intel, along with Micron (MU) and Nvidia (NVDA), are among the firm’s top picks. KeyBanc sees AI infrastructure investment as a sustained demand driver, with the recovery potentially extending through 2027.
Intel is set to report earnings Thursday, which may explain some of Monday’s pullback as investors repositioned ahead of the report.
HSBC Sets the Highest Target on the Street
The most bullish call came from HSBC. Analyst Frank Lee upgraded Intel from Hold to Buy, and set a price target of $95 — the highest among analysts covering the stock.
Lee’s note pointed out that while a recent foundry deal had already driven a 60% rally in Intel’s stock, server processor momentum remains underappreciated by the market. He said server CPU upside is “more than enough” to drive earnings growth, even as uncertainty around the foundry business lingers.
HSBC sees Intel’s server CPU shipment growth and price increases as key drivers of earnings upside, calling the company’s server CPU potential “game-changing” starting in the second quarter of this year.
Intel reports earnings Thursday, April 24.
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