A significant shake-up in institutional holdings of Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) stock has captured market attention, signaling shifts in investor confidence and strategic portfolio rebalancing within the technology sector.
Among these shifts, SPC Financial Inc. notably reduced its stake in the chip maker during the first quarter. According to its most recent SEC disclosure, the firm divested 2,685 shares, bringing its total ownership to 9,623 shares of Intel stock, valued at $219,000 as of the filing date.
Beyond SPC Financial, a multitude of other prominent institutional investors have also adjusted their positions in Intel. UBS AM, a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC, significantly augmented its holdings by 8.2% in the fourth quarter, accumulating an additional 4,793,927 shares, pushing its total to an impressive 63,263,339 shares valued at over $1.2 billion.
Similarly, Northern Trust Corp substantially increased its investment by 15.5% during the fourth quarter, acquiring 6,157,853 more shares to reach a total of 45,811,555 shares, now valued at approximately $918.5 million. Invesco Ltd. also demonstrated heightened interest, boosting its stake by 9.4% with the purchase of 3,696,377 additional shares, bringing their total to 43,088,830 shares worth around $863.9 million.
Further reinforcing the institutional movements, Deutsche Bank AG expanded its Intel holdings by 14.1%, adding 2,965,308 shares to reach 24,030,097 shares valued at $481.8 million. Nuveen Asset Management LLC also modestly increased its position by 2.7%, acquiring 576,788 shares for a total of 22,197,729 shares, valued at $445 million. Collectively, these institutional investors now command a significant 64.53% of Intel’s stock.
Analyst sentiment surrounding Intel has been mixed, with several brokerages issuing updated reports. Needham & Company LLC and Stifel Nicolaus both reiterated ‘hold’ ratings, while Sanford C. Bernstein and Mizuho maintained ‘market perform’ or ‘neutral’ ratings with adjusted target prices. Notably, Seaport Res Ptn even assigned a ‘strong sell’ rating. The consensus among twenty-four analysts remains a ‘Hold’ rating for Intel, with an average target price hovering around $22.17.
From a financial performance perspective, Intel’s shares recently opened at $19.31, reflecting broader market dynamics. The company commands a market capitalization of $84.52 billion, navigating a PE ratio of -4.05 and a beta of 1.22. Its financial health is further characterized by a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.24, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, alongside fifty-day and two-hundred-day simple moving averages of $21.58 and $21.52, respectively.
Intel’s latest quarterly earnings, announced on July 24th, presented a challenging picture, with the chip maker reporting an earnings per share (EPS) of ($0.10), missing analyst consensus estimates of $0.01 by a significant margin. Despite this, the firm posted revenues of $12.86 billion for the quarter, surpassing the consensus estimate of $11.88 billion. The company recorded a negative return on equity of 3.78% and a negative net margin of 38.64%, with year-over-year revenue growth of 0.5%.
As a global leader in technology, Intel Corporation meticulously designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells a diverse array of computing and related products and services. Its operational framework spans key segments including Client Computing Group, Data Center and AI, Network and Edge, Mobileye, and Intel Foundry Services, reinforcing its pivotal role across various facets of the semiconductor industry.
