Group 1 - Intel Corporation reported a strong quarterly performance but provided dismal guidance due to an inability to meet chip demand, resulting in a significant stock decline of 17% on the following Friday and an additional 5% on Monday [1][2] - The company is facing a CPU shortage, which is impacting its ability to capitalize on the current market demand driven by the data center boom, leading to a miscalculation in production planning [2] - Intel's manufacturing equipment limitations have hindered its capacity to fulfill market needs, contributing to the negative outlook [1] Group 2 - Despite the challenges faced by Intel, there are other AI stocks that may present greater upside potential and lower downside risk, indicating a competitive landscape in the tech sector [3]

Intel's (INTC) CFO just put his money where his mouth is. Now investors are asking if they should follow his lead. David Zinsner purchased 5,882 shares of Intel at $42.50 each on Jan. 26, just days after the chipmaker's earnings report sent the stock tumbling. The timing is notable. INTC stock had cratered 17% on Friday following weak guidance and warnings about supply constraints that spooked Wall Street. For a CFO to step in with his own cash right after such a selloff sends a message. But is it the rig ...

Core Viewpoint - Intel's stock experienced a significant rise on January 28, 2026, attributed to discussions about potential foundry collaborations with Nvidia and Apple, alongside an insider acquisition by the CFO, despite a disappointing Q4 2025 earnings report and weak guidance just a week prior [1][3]. Financial Performance - Q4 2025 earnings revealed a GAAP loss of $300 million and ongoing supply issues, indicating no substantial changes in the near-term business outlook since the unsatisfactory earnings report [4][7]. - The stock closed at $48.78, significantly below its 52-week peak of $54.60, with trading volume at 200 million shares, exceeding 100% above the three-month average [11]. Market Sentiment and Trading Activity - The recent stock rally is characterized by a sudden reversal in sentiment, driven by high trading volume and intense call option activity, typical of a relief rally following a sell-off [5]. - Evidence suggests a combination of opportunistic institutional buying and retail investors chasing headlines, although institutional sentiment remains cautious [6]. Future Outlook - The rally is based on speculative foundry news that may not materialize for several years, and the positive insider purchase does not address the fundamental challenges highlighted in the recent earnings report [7]. - Weak guidance for Q1 2026 and persistent supply constraints are critical realities, with a key resistance point at the $50 psychological barrier, indicating potential distribution for those who purchased the dip [7]. Insider Activity - CFO David Zinsner's acquisition of 5,882 shares at $42.50 serves as an institutional signal, while aggressive call purchasing suggests a significant speculative, likely retail-driven aspect [12].

After a hot start to 2026, shares of Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) plunged on news that the semiconductor company issued weak guidance in its latest earnings report. The stock is still trading up around 19% in 2026 and has more than doubled over the past year, as of this writing. Let's take a closer look at its earnings report and prospects to see if long-term investors should consider buying this recent dip. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks ...

Market Overview - The Federal Reserve maintained the federal funds rate target range at 3.5%-3.75%, aligning with market expectations[9] - The Hang Seng Index closed at 27,827, down 2.58% for the day but up 8.57% year-to-date[3] - The S&P 500 index closed at 6,978, with a slight decrease of 0.01% for the day and a year-to-date increase of 1.94%[3] Stock Performance - Gold prices surged, with spot gold exceeding $5,280 per ounce, marking a monthly increase of over 22%[9] - Semiconductor stocks saw significant gains, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rising by 2.34%[9] - Major tech stocks showed mixed results, with Intel up 11.04% and Microsoft down 6% post-earnings report[9] Sector Highlights - Oil stocks continued to rise, with Shanghai Petrochemical gaining over 5% due to geopolitical tensions driving oil prices up by 3%[9] - New consumer concept stocks performed well, with a snack retail chain soaring 69% on its debut[9] - Airline stocks faced pressure, with China Southern Airlines down 6.83% due to rising operational costs[9] Economic Indicators - The U.S. dollar index fell to 95.51, the lowest since February 2022, contributing to the rise in gold prices[9] - The Japanese yen strengthened, impacting export-related stocks negatively, with Toyota down 3.24%[13] - The Bank of Japan raised its policy rate to 0.75%, the highest in 30 years, indicating a cautious approach to future rate hikes[13]

Group 1: Market Performance - Major indices futures showed positive movement with Dow futures up 0.08%, S&P 500 futures up 0.17%, and Nasdaq futures up 0.23% [1] Group 2: Company Earnings Reports - Meta reported Q4 2025 revenue of $59.893 billion, a 24% year-over-year increase, exceeding analyst expectations of $58.42 billion; net profit was $22.768 billion, up 9%, with diluted EPS of $8.88, up 11% [2] - Microsoft reported Q2 2026 revenue and profit above expectations, with Azure cloud revenue growing 38% year-over-year, matching analyst forecasts; however, growth slowed by 1 percentage point from the previous quarter [3] - IBM's Q4 2025 revenue was $19.69 billion, a 12% increase year-over-year, with software revenue at $9.03 billion, up 14%, and consulting revenue at $5.35 billion, up 3.4%; free cash flow grew 23% to $7.55 billion [5] Group 3: Strategic Changes and Investments - Tesla announced plans to halt production of Model S and Model X to make way for Optimus robot production lines, despite a 3% year-over-year revenue decline to $24.901 billion in Q4 2025 [4] - Amazon confirmed layoffs of approximately 16,000 corporate positions, marking the second round of significant layoffs since October, totaling 30,000 positions or about 10% of its corporate and tech workforce [6] - Nvidia, Microsoft, and Amazon are reportedly in discussions to invest up to $60 billion in OpenAI, with Nvidia considering up to $30 billion, Microsoft planning under $10 billion, and Amazon potentially exceeding $10 billion [7] Group 4: Regulatory Issues - Deutsche Bank's Frankfurt office was raided by German prosecutors in connection with a money laundering investigation, with the bank cooperating with authorities [8]

Core Viewpoint - The long position in Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) has been notably successful over the past 12 months, indicating strong performance and potential for continued investment interest [1]. Group 1 - The successful trade in Intel Corporation began in April 2025, highlighting a significant timeframe for investment evaluation [1].

Core Viewpoint - Intel's stock has seen significant gains recently, but the company still lags behind its manufacturing competitor, TSMC, in terms of growth and profitability [1][4]. Intel Overview - Intel's stock has more than doubled in the last six months, despite a pullback after disappointing fourth-quarter earnings guidance [1]. - The U.S. government acquired a 9.9% stake in Intel, and Nvidia invested $5 billion, providing crucial capital for Intel's foundry business and AI product development [2][3]. - Under new CEO Lip-Bu Tan, Intel is focusing on cost-cutting, streamlining operations, and cultural changes to enhance competitiveness [3]. Financial Performance - In Q4, Intel's revenue fell 4% to $13.7 billion, with a GAAP loss of $591 million, although it was profitable on an adjusted basis [4]. - For Q1, Intel expects revenue between $11.7 billion and $12.7 billion, indicating a sharp sequential decline, with adjusted earnings per share projected to break even [5]. Comparison with TSMC - TSMC, with a market cap of $1.8 trillion, is the leading contract manufacturer of semiconductors, producing over half of the world's contract chips and 90% of advanced contract chips [6][7]. - TSMC's Q4 revenue rose 25.5% to $33.7 billion, with an operating margin of 54%, translating to $18.2 billion in operating income [7]. - TSMC generates 77% of its revenue from advanced chips (7nm or less) and has a price-to-earnings ratio of 32, making it slightly more expensive than the S&P 500 [8]. Future Outlook - Intel's future in the foundry business relies on advanced processes like 18A (1.8nm), but meaningful competition with TSMC is likely years away [10]. - TSMC is expected to grow revenue at a compound annual rate of around 25% through 2029, maintaining a strong operating income [11]. - Despite Intel's turnaround narrative, TSMC is viewed as a safer investment, especially amid the ongoing AI boom [11].

Group 1 - Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing (02314) rose nearly 6% after Nine Dragons Paper announced a profit forecast of approximately 2.15 billion to 2.25 billion yuan for the six months ending December 31, 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 216.0% to 230.7% [1] - New Oriental Education (09901) increased nearly 4% following the release of its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2026, showing a 14.7% year-on-year increase in net revenue and a 244.4% rise in operating profit [1] - Jolywood (06680) surged nearly 7% as rare earth prices continued to rise, with neodymium and praseodymium oxide prices increasing by over 120,000 yuan per ton [1] Group 2 - Chinese property management stocks saw a significant rise, with Sunac Services (01516) up 5.67% and Greentown Services (02869) up 5.81%, as a report predicted an average revenue growth of 6% for property management companies by 2025 [2] - Valiant Pharmaceuticals (09887) gained nearly 4% after receiving FDA fast track designation for its dual-specific antibody LBL-034 for treating relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma [2] - The commercial aerospace sector showed signs of recovery, with Junda Co. (02865) rising 12.1% as the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation emphasized the importance of the next decade for developing a strong aerospace industry [2] Group 3 - Aigo Group (00328) experienced a dramatic drop, falling over 88% at one point, with a total market value dropping below 35 million HKD [3] - China Overseas Development (00688) rose over 4.2% as Citigroup's report indicated that the Chinese real estate sector would face significant impairment and margin decline challenges in fiscal year 2025 [3] - Yuegangwan Holdings (01396) increased by 8% after announcing a share placement to raise 108 million yuan, with about 70% allocated for AI computing power cloud service projects [3] Group 4 - Junda Co. (02865) saw a rise of 11.99% as the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation held a meeting emphasizing the need to overcome challenges in commercial rocket launches and reusable technology [4] Group 5 - In the US market, New Oriental (EDU.US) rose 5.32% after reporting a net revenue of 1.191 billion USD for the second quarter of fiscal year 2026, a 14.7% year-on-year increase [5][6] - Semiconductor equipment and materials sector saw gains, with Texas Instruments (TXN.US) up 9.94% as it projected first-quarter revenue between 4.32 billion and 4.68 billion USD, slightly above analyst expectations [5] - Storage sector stocks surged, with Seagate Technology (STX.US) up 19.14% as it projected third-quarter revenue of 2.9 billion USD, significantly higher than analyst estimates [5]

We recently published 10 Stocks Gaining Double Digits Effortlessly. Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) was one of the best performers on Wednesday. Intel rallied for a second day on Wednesday, jumping 11.04 percent to close at $48.78 apiece, as investors loaded portfolios amid ongoing buzz that it has clinched a significant 2028 order from Nvidia Corp. An article by the DigiTimes, citing recent supply chain reports, said that Nvidia and Apple Inc. are planning to collaborate with Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) on its ...