Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) has caught the attention of institutional investors, with Horizon Investments LLC increasing its holdings by 74.2% during the fourth quarter of 2024, according to its latest 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm now holds 165,976 shares of the chipmaker, valued at approximately $3.33 million.
Major Hedge Funds Ramp Up Intel Holdings
Horizon’s increased stake is part of a broader trend, as several large hedge funds also bolstered their Intel positions:
- Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its stake by a staggering 264% during Q4, now holding 19.6 million shares valued at $393.3 million.
- UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake by 28.2% in Q3, adding 12.8 million shares, bringing its total to 58.4 million shares, worth $1.37 billion.
- Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. increased its position by 224.8%, acquiring an additional 7.2 million shares to reach a total of 10.4 million shares, valued at $244.3 million.
- State Street Corp raised its stake by 2.8%, bringing its total ownership to 197.9 million shares, worth $4.64 billion.
- Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position by 4.6%, holding 92.5 million shares, valued at $2.16 billion.
In total, institutional investors now own 64.53% of Intel’s outstanding shares, indicating continued confidence in the company’s long-term potential despite recent stock performance struggles.
Mixed Analyst Ratings Weigh on Intel
While institutional investors are boosting their positions, Wall Street analysts remain divided on Intel’s outlook.
- Bank of America upgraded Intel from “underperform” to “neutral”, raising its price target from $19.00 to $25.00 on March 13, 2025.
- UBS Group cut its target price from $26.00 to $23.00 with a “neutral” rating on January 21, 2025.
- Citigroup lowered its target price from $22.00 to $21.00, maintaining a “neutral” rating.
- HSBC upgraded Intel from “reduce” to “hold” on January 21, 2025.
Overall, Intel holds a consensus “Hold” rating from MarketBeat.com, with four sell ratings, 28 hold ratings, and one buy rating, resulting in a consensus target price of $27.04.
Intel Stock Performance and Financials
As of Wednesday, March 19, 2025, Intel’s stock opened at $25.92 with a market cap of $112.23 billion.
- The stock’s 50-day moving average stands at $21.68, while its 200-day moving average is $21.93.
- Intel’s 52-week range spans from a low of $18.51 to a high of $45.41.
- The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.98, and a current ratio of 1.33, reflecting a stable liquidity position.
Earnings and Outlook
Intel’s recent Q4 2024 earnings report, released on January 30, 2025, revealed:
- An EPS of -$0.02, missing analyst expectations of $0.12 by $0.14.
- Negative return on equity of -3.27%.
- Negative net margin of -35.32%, highlighting the company’s ongoing profitability struggles.
Equities analysts forecast Intel’s EPS to be -0.11 for the current fiscal year, reflecting ongoing challenges in the semiconductor market.
