Intel(US:INTC) Benzinga·2026-01-12 07:35Market Sentiment - The CNN Money Fear and Greed index improved to a reading of 50.6, remaining in the "Neutral" zone, up from 47.2 [5] - U.S. stocks closed higher, with the Dow Jones gaining over 200 points, and the S&P 500 reaching new highs [1][4] Employment Data - December nonfarm payrolls increased by 50,000, slightly below the expected 60,000, indicating a cooling in employment growth [2] - The unemployment rate unexpectedly declined to 4.4% from 4.5%, suggesting stabilization in the labor market [2] Company Performance - Intel Corp. saw a significant increase of over 10%, reaching its highest levels since March 2024, following positive remarks from President Donald Trump about a meeting with CEO Lip-Bu Tan [3] - Most sectors in the S&P 500 closed positively, with materials, utilities, and consumer discretionary stocks showing the largest gains, while health care and financial stocks declined [3] Stock Index Performance - The Dow Jones closed higher by approximately 238 points at 49,504.07, the S&P 500 rose 0.65% to 6,966.28, and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.81% to 23,671.35 [4]