New York, February 19, 2026, 11:13 a.m. EST — Regular session
Shares of Intel (INTC.O) slipped 1.8% to $44.65 on Thursday morning, lagging behind other chip stocks. The stock moved between $43.92 and $45.52 as roughly 28 million shares changed hands. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF dropped 0.8%, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 ETFs also ticking down.
Intel slid again, marking its third straight day in the red. Shares ended Wednesday off 1.56% at $45.46, despite gains in the wider market. The stock sits about 17% beneath its Jan. 22 52-week high. Meanwhile, Nvidia, Broadcom, and Qualcomm all closed higher. Intel saw just 63 million shares change hands—far lighter than its 50-day average of 107 million, according to MarketWatch data.
Mark March 4 on the calendar: Intel revealed Wednesday evening that CFO David Zinsner is scheduled for a fireside chat—essentially an on-stage interview—at Morgan Stanley’s Technology, Media & Telecom Conference. Both live and replay webcasts will be posted on Intel’s investor relations site.
Intel is under pressure as risk assets stay in check, with traders keeping an eye on earnings and global politics. “Rising U.S.-Iran tensions are adding a layer of uncertainty,” said Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. He noted climbing oil prices are denting sentiment. Reuters
Intel shares slipped further after a rough reset back in late January, when the chipmaker flagged weaker-than-expected first-quarter revenue and admitted it was having trouble keeping up with demand for AI data center server chips. “In the short term, I’m disappointed that we are not able to fully meet the demand in our markets,” CEO Lip-Bu Tan told analysts on the call. Reuters
For shareholders, Morgan Stanley’s appearance isn’t really about grabbing headlines—it’s cadence that matters. They’re listening for management’s take on near-term demand, pricing, and any signs that supply constraints could be loosening.
Intel Foundry is another area under scrutiny—the company’s contract chipmaking division, handling production for outside chip designers. If management signals that spending remains elevated but order volumes aren’t following suit, it could put immediate pressure on margins and cash flow arithmetic.
Intel is back in “show-me” turnaround territory, at least that’s how some traders are describing it. Shares have moved in step with chip stocks generally, though on sessions when investors pile into flashier AI names, Intel tends to lag.
Yet March 4 might fall flat. Should Zinsner stick to the usual script or hint at more cost or yield pressure, the stock could end up trapped in its sell-the-news rut.
Next up: the Morgan Stanley conference on March 4. Investors will be looking for new hints on demand, spending, and how quickly a recovery might take shape.
