Intel $INTC ( ▼ 3.48% ) rose in early trading after an upgrade to buy, driven by growing confidence that the company can line up a major partner for its next generation 14A chip manufacturing process. The call comes as Intel continues repositioning itself as a strategic US chipmaker with government backing and renewed focus on advanced foundry capabilities.
Big tech interest is the real catalyst
The upgrade hinges on the idea that leading chip designers could eventually adopt Intel’s 14A process. There is increasing optimism that Nvidia $NVDA ( ▼ 2.23% ) and Apple $AAPL could evaluate or pilot the technology in the 2028 to 2029 timeframe, which would be a major validation of Intel’s manufacturing comeback. Securing even one top tier customer would materially change how investors view Intel’s long term competitiveness against TSMC.
A higher target and more upside talk
The new price target of $50 implies roughly 20% upside from current levels. After what has already been a strong year for the stock, the view is that Intel still has room to run if it can translate national security relevance and process roadmap progress into real commercial demand.