New York, Feb 17, 2026, 06:52 (ET) — Premarket
- Intel shares rose about 0.6% in premarket trading
- U.S. stock futures edged lower after the long weekend as AI “disruption” fears linger
- Investors are lining up Friday’s inflation read as the next near-term test for tech valuations
Intel shares rose 0.6% in premarket trading on Tuesday, changing hands at $46.79.
The move came as U.S. stock index futures dipped after the long weekend, with investors still rattled by a broader selloff tied to worries about AI-driven disruption. “AI adoption is an overall positive rather than a negative, but it would change the business models of some industries,” Jefferies economist Mohit Kumar said. (Reuters)
That matters for Intel because the stock has been trading like a referendum on two big things at once: the AI buildout that drives server spending, and the path of U.S. interest rates that sets the mood for tech.
There was no immediate Intel-specific headline driving the premarket move, leaving the shares to track the day’s risk tone and what investors expect from rates and AI demand.
Intel last warned in late January that it was struggling to meet demand for server chips used in AI data centers and forecast first-quarter revenue and profit below estimates. Chief Executive Lip-Bu Tan told analysts, “In the short term, I’m disappointed that we are not able to fully meet the demand in our markets.” (Reuters)
Supply has stayed in the spotlight. Earlier this month, Reuters reported Intel and AMD had notified Chinese customers about lengthy waits for some server CPUs, with Intel warning lead times of up to six months, sources said. Intel said it expected “inventory at lowest level in Q1” and forecast supply improvement in the rest of 2026. (Reuters)
Tan has also tried to widen the story beyond CPUs. He told Reuters this month Intel plans to build graphics processing units — the kind of chips Nvidia built a dominant data-center business on — and said, “It’s tied in with the data center.” (Reuters)
But the downside case is easy to sketch. If tech stays under pressure, Intel’s modest bounce could fade quickly, and any sign that supply constraints linger — or that new product bets take longer to land — would likely show up in the stock before it shows up in the numbers.
Intel’s investor relations calendar currently lists no upcoming events, which leaves traders leaning even harder on macro catalysts and any unscheduled company updates. (Intc)
The next concrete marker is Friday, when the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis is due to publish the Personal Income and Outlays report for December, which includes the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index — the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge. The release is scheduled for Feb. 20 at 8:30 a.m. ET. (Bea)
