An (INTEL)ligent Buy After Q1 Earnings ? Yes !
$Tesla Motors(TSLA)$ had a blood bath performance on Thu, 23 Apr 2026, a day after its earnings were released.
$Intel(INTC)$ on the other hand delivered a watershed Q1 2026 earnings report, after US market closed.
Post announcement saw the former #1 chip maker sparked a +20% surge in its share price, surpassing an all-time high set in 2000.
I think this result should signal a definitive end to its period of strategic "wilderness."
The results, portray a company that has successfully pivoted to capitalize on the "Agentic AI" era while simultaneously reclaim its manufacturing prowess.
Q1 Numbers Behind Rebound
Below are the actuals, compared with estimates from analysts polled by LSEG:
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Revenue: came in at $13.6 billion vs Wall Street consensus of $12.4 billion vs Q1 2025’s $12.7 billion, that’s a +7% YoY increase. (see below)
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Earnings per share GAAP : was -$0.73 vs Q1 2025’s -$0.19; due largely to a $3.8 billion non-cash writedown of goodwill from the 2017 Mobileye acquisition.
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Earnnigs per share non GAAP : was $0.29 vs Q1 2025’s $0.13; that’s a +123.08% YoY gain.
Other financial numbers:
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Net income GAAP: was -$3.7 billion vs Q1 2025’s -$0.8 billion; that’s a -362.5% YoY loss.
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Net income Non-GAAP : was $1.5 billion vs Q1 2025’s $0.6 billion, that’s a +156% YoY gain.
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Gross margin GAAP: was 39.4% vs Q1 2025’s 36.9%; that’s a +2.5% increase.
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Gross margin Non-GAAP: was 41% vs Q1 2025’s 39.2%; that’s a +1.8% increase and exceeded guidance by +6.5%.
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Cash from Operations: $1.1 billion was generated during the quarter.
Segment Performance: Return of CPU
The most dramatic turnaround occurred in the Data Center and AI (DCAI) group.
After a "U-shaped" recovery through 2025, DCAI revenue hit a historical high of $5.1 billion, up +22% YoY. (see below)
CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who took the helm following Pat Gelsinger’s 2024 departure, noted that as AI moves from training to inference and "agentic" workloads, the CPU has re-emerged as the "indispensable” foundation.
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Intel Foundry: Revenue reached $5.4 billion vs Q1 2025’s $4.7 billion, that’s a +16% YoY gain. Although the segment still posted a -$2.4 billion operating loss, it marks a significant technical milestone. (see below)
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Client Computing Group (CCG): Revenue rose +1.0% to $7.7 billion, showing resilience despite INTC’s decision to prioritize data center wafer allocation.
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Product Ramps: The Intel 3-based Xeon 6 and Intel 18A-based Core Series 3 are now in full volume production. It is the fastest ramps the company has seen in 5 years.
Back For Good ?
INTC is no longer just promising a comeback; it is executing one.
The company’s "5 nodes in 4 years" strategy has culminated in the Intel 18A process, where yields are running ahead of internal projections now.
Crucially, the company has begun its Intel 14A development, with maturity yields likely outpacing 18A at a similar stage.
Perhaps, the most significant "vote of confidence" comes from external partners.
Elon Musk has confirmed he will use INTC’s 14A process for SpaceX and Tesla chips at the new "Terafab" facility, making him the first major external customer for the advanced node. (see below)
Furthermore, INTC’s decision to repurchase a 49% stake in Ireland’s Fab 34 (previously held by Apollo) indicates a strengthened balance sheet and a desire to own its manufacturing destiny fully.
I have covered this in my 09 Apr 2026 post on INTC. (click here ! for details)
Out of the Woods - Back from the Wilderness?
The narrative of INTC being "lost" has been replaced by one of industry-wide support.
The turnaround, once viewed as a risky bet, is now backed by a diverse coalition:
Below are some salient instances:
(1) Governmental & Strategic Stakes:
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Following a 2025 deal brokered by the US government for a 10% stake, INTC has seen subsequent investments from Nvidia and SoftBank.
(2) Operational Alliances:
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INTC has joined forces with SpaceX, xAI, and TSLA in the Terafab project, positioning itself as the primary domestic fabricator for the next generation of high-performance silicon.
(3) Collaboration with $Alphabet(GOOG)$
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INTC and GOOG’s multi-year collaboration will see GOOG continue to deploy INTC’s Xeon platforms for its next generation of AI and cloud infrastructure; not to mention their collab-design on the new Infrastructure Processing Unit (IPU), it will be a new chapter in the tech giant’s history. click here ! for the details !
(4) Collaboration with Softbank’s Sub.
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Saimemory, SoftBank Corp subsidiary is partnering INTC for its next-generation memory technology development - the Z-Angle Memory (ZAM) project.
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ZAM is being position as an alternative to existing AI memory technology and is designed to be a power-efficient high-bandwidth memory (HBM).
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As of April 2026, HBM remains in severe short supply, with the shortage described as a structural, long-term issue and not a temporary cyclical blip.
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While significant capacity expansions by SK Hynix, Samsung, and $Micron Technology(MU)$ are underway, meaningful new production is not expected to significantly ease the market until late 2027.
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The ZAM collaboration could not have materialized at a better time, than now.
Sentiments & PT Revisions.
With all these development happening simultaneously, analysts and financial institutions are getting excited about INTC’s outlook all over again.
As a result, on 24 Apr 2026, they revised their price targets (PTs) for INTC.
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KeyBanc - raised PT to $110 from $70.
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Benchmark - raised PT to $105 from $76.
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HSBC - raised PT to $100 from $95.
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Roth/MKM - raised PT to $100 from $60.
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Cantor Fitzgerald - raised PT to $90 from $60.
Looking at INTC’s past week’s performance of +20% gain to close Fri, 24 Apr 2026 at $82.57 /share, the top PT of above $100 /share seems like the next target, now more than ever.
Suffice To Say.
INTC has moved from a "survival" conversation to an "expansion" one.
By streamlining its focus under one-year old CEO Lip-Bu Tan while retaining the ambitious manufacturing goals of the previous era, INTC has transformed into a leaner, more disciplined powerhouse.
With its x86 franchise rejuvenated by AI demand & its foundry services finally attracting tier-one customers, INTC is no longer chasing the leaders, it is preparing to lead all over again.
If INTC’s Q2 earnings and outlook / guidance proved to be as exciting & promising as Q1 earnings, then the sky should be the limits. Agree ? Toast to Q2 2026 earnings ya !
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Do you think there has never been a better time to get into INTC stocks, than now ?
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Do you think INTC’s miracle story will continue when its time to report Q2 earnings ? I do !
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Apparently, GOOG will be a major INTC Foundry customer, using its EMIB Advanced Packaging For Next-Gen TPU chip.
Things are looking up for INTC Foundry, don't you think ?