Why Intel Stock Surged Today

After sell-offs yesterday, Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) stock rallied in Tuesday's trading. The semiconductor company's share price gained 2.8% amid a 2.5% gain for the S&P 500 and a 2.7% gain for the Nasdaq Composite. The stock had been up as much as 4.8% before giving up some of its gains.

Bloomberg reported today that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at an investor conference this morning that the U.S.-China trade war could see significant de-escalation in the near term. The news helped power substantial gains for Intel despite two analysts lowering their price targets on the stock before the market opened.

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Intel stock sees rebound thanks to trade hopes

Treasury Secretary Bessent reportedly said today that the U.S.'s trade war with China was unsustainable and indicated that there could be a deal, even though negotiations had not begun in earnest. The White House later confirmed that the Trump administration was "setting the stage" for a trade deal with China.

The seemingly conciliatory news helped power substantial gains for Intel and the broader market, regaining ground lost in sell-offs yesterday. But with conditions seeing big shifts daily lately, investors should understand that more big volatility could still be in the cards.

Bernstein and Barclays both lower price targets on Intel

In new coverage released this morning, Barclays lowered its one-year price target on Intel from $23 per share to $19 per share and reiterated an equal-weight rating on the stock. Analyst Tom O'Malley pointed to tariff headwinds and broader valuation pressures connected to dynamics with China as reasons for the move.

Bernstein also lowered its target on Intel, cutting its price forecast from $25 per share to $21 per share and maintaining a market-perform rating on the stock. The firm lowered its performance outlook for the year to earnings of $0.37 per share on sales of $52.4 billion -- down from its previous target for per-share earnings of $0.43 on sales of $53.1 billion.

As noted in Bernstein's coverage, Intel faces an uneven demand outlook on the chip-design side of the business this year. For better or worse, news about what strategy Intel will take with its loss-generating foundry business will likely also have a big impact on the stock this year.

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Keith Noonan has positions in Intel. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Intel. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: short May 2025 $30 calls on Intel. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.