Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC significantly reduced its holdings in Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) by 50.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the firm’s latest 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund sold 20,979 shares, leaving it with 20,273 shares valued at $406,000 by the end of the reporting period.
Institutional Activity and Hedge Fund Moves
Other major institutional investors also adjusted their positions in Intel:
- Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake by 4.6% in the third quarter, now holding 92.5 million shares valued at approximately $2.16 billion.
- Relyea Zuckerberg Hanson LLC more than tripled its Intel holdings, buying 19,625 additional shares in Q4, bringing its total to 28,898 shares valued at $579,000.
- Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake by 4.4%, now owning 4.83 million shares worth $113.2 million.
- New entrants included Empirical Asset Management LLC, which initiated a position valued at $276,000, and InvesTrust, which purchased $3.7 million worth of Intel shares.
Overall, 64.53% of Intel’s stock is now owned by institutional investors and hedge funds, indicating ongoing market interest despite the company’s recent financial struggles.
Analyst Ratings and Price Targets
Wall Street analysts remain cautious on Intel, with mixed ratings:
- Barclays lowered its target price from $25 to $23, assigning an “equal weight” rating.
- UBS Group downgraded its target from $26 to $23, also with a “neutral” rating.
- HSBC and HSBC Global Research both upgraded Intel from “reduce” to “hold” ratings.
- Roth Mkm slashed its target price from $25 to $20, keeping a “neutral” stance.
According to MarketBeat.com, Intel currently holds an average rating of “Hold” with a consensus target price of $27.04. The majority of analysts—28 out of 33—have issued hold ratings, while only one maintains a buy rating, signaling limited optimism.
Financial Performance and Outlook
Intel’s stock opened at $24.26 on Friday, marking a 1.3% gain. The company’s 12-month range spans from a low of $18.51 to a high of $45.41, with a current market cap of $105.05 billion. However, the company’s price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio stands at -5.54, reflecting ongoing losses.
In its latest earnings report on January 30, Intel posted a $0.02 loss per share, falling short of analysts’ expectations of a $0.12 gain. The company reported a negative return on equity (ROE) of 3.27% and a net margin of -35.32%, highlighting its profitability struggles.
Looking Ahead
Intel continues to face financial headwinds as it works to regain its footing in the competitive semiconductor industry. With Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) expanding its U.S. presence and rival Nvidia surging in AI-related chip demand, Intel’s turnaround efforts will be closely watched.
Despite its recent financial setbacks, strong institutional backing and gradual stock gains indicate that investors are cautiously optimistic about Intel’s long-term recovery potential.
