Wall Street Is Starting to Like Intel Stock Again

Core Viewpoint - Intel's stock is gaining attention from investors after years of struggles, with recent upgrades from analysts indicating a more optimistic outlook for the company [1][2][10] Group 1: Analyst Upgrades and Market Sentiment - KeyBanc analyst upgraded Intel's stock to "buy" with a price target of $60, reflecting growing investor optimism [2] - Citigroup analyst Atif Malik upgraded Intel from "sell" to "hold" with a price target of $50, indicating a cautious but improved outlook [3][10] Group 2: Foundry Opportunities - Malik identifies significant opportunities for Intel's foundry segment due to a shortage of advanced packaging capacity at TSMC and U.S. government investments [4] - The demand for AI ASICs is expected to drive business to Intel Foundry, as companies like Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft design custom AI chips [6] Group 3: Production and Technology Developments - Intel's 18A process is in production, with Panther Lake chips set to debut in laptops, achieving yields of around 60% [5] - The successful implementation of the 18A process is seen as a compelling option for chip designers facing manufacturing capacity challenges [5] Group 4: Market Challenges and Risks - Despite positive developments, concerns remain regarding Intel's CPU business, particularly with the performance of Arrow Lake chips and competition from AMD and Arm-based devices [7][9] - Rising memory chip prices could negatively impact overall PC demand, complicating Intel's recovery in the PC market [9]