Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) stock climbed nearly 5% in Thursday’s premarket session as investors responded to a stronger market backdrop and growing optimism around the company’s long-term growth prospects.

Nasdaq futures gained 0.86%, while S&P 500 futures rose 0.46%. The premarket advance comes as risk appetite improves across the broader market. Dow futures added 0.49%, and Russell 2000 futures gained 0.79%.

Intel also received a boost from fresh analyst support. Bank of America Securities upgraded the stock to Buy on Thursday and raised its price forecast to $135. The firm cited stronger CPU demand and long-term upside from Intel Foundry.

The positive sentiment follows reports that major technology companies are evaluating Intel’s advanced manufacturing capabilities. Investors also continue to focus on the expanding role of CPUs in agentic AI workloads.

Technical Analysis

Intel remains in a strong long-term uptrend. The stock trades about 21% above its 50-day simple moving average of $92.70 and more than 113% above its 200-day simple moving average of $52.54.

The golden cross formed in August 2025 remains intact, signaling continued long-term strength.

In the near term, Intel is consolidating after its recent rally. The stock sits slightly below its 20-day simple moving average of $113.41 but remains above its 20-day exponential moving average of $109.31.

The relative strength index stands at 51.02. A reading near 50 suggests momentum is balanced and the stock is no longer overbought.

Key resistance is near $126.50, with the 52-week high at $132.75. Key support sits around $102.50.

Earnings And Analyst View

Intel is expected to report second-quarter results on July 23.

Wall Street expects earnings of 19 cents per share, compared with a loss of 10 cents a year earlier. Revenue is projected to rise to $14.4 billion from $12.86 billion.

The stock carries a consensus Hold rating. The average analyst price forecast stands at $82.33. Recent analyst actions include:

  • BofA Securities: Upgraded to Buy, raised price forecast to $135 on June 11.
  • Barclays: Maintained Equal Weight, raised price forecast to $100 on June 1.
  • Wells Fargo: Maintained Equal Weight, raised price forecast to $110 on June 1.

ETF Exposure

  • iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXX): 6.30% Weight
  • iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (BATS:VLUE): 9.28% Weight
  • GraniteShares 2x Long INTC Daily ETF (NASDAQ:INTW): 66.67% Weight

Significance: Because INTC carries such a heavy weight in these funds, any significant inflows or outflows for these ETFs will likely force automatic buying or selling of the stock.

INTC Price Action: Intel shares were up 4.27% at $111.61 during premarket trading on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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