Intel (INTC) stock hit with major Wall Street downgrade

On the heels of the recent massive rally, Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) stock has received a downgrade from Wall Street, with an analyst citing concerns about its valuation.

Specifically, INTC was downgraded by Northland Capital Markets from ‘Outperform’ to ‘Market Perform’. The downgrade comes after Intel shares surged almost 500% over the past year, with the equity trading at $119 as of press time.

The rally has pushed the semiconductor giant into overvalued territory, according to market data cited by analysts. Northland analyst Gus Richard also suspended the firm’s price target on the technology company.

While Northland acknowledged that Intel is making measurable progress in its recovery strategy, the analyst warned that the current share price already reflects much of the expected improvement. 

At the same time, Richard expects earnings estimates to rise as demand for server central processing units strengthens in the coming quarters.

However, Northland projects that overall data center spending could decline in calendar year 2027 as hyperscale technology companies face increasing cash constraints, potentially limiting future growth across the artificial intelligence infrastructure market.

Under Northland’s optimistic scenario, Intel’s data center business could expand by 40% in 2027, resulting in earnings of about $3.20 per share. Even with that projection, the stock would still trade at roughly 38 times projected earnings, a valuation the firm considers expensive.

Additional valuation metrics also point to elevated pricing levels for Intel shares. The company’s enterprise value-to-EBITDA ratio currently stands at about 43.7 times, signaling that investors continue assigning a premium valuation to the stock despite uncertainty surrounding long-term AI infrastructure demand and supply chain conditions.

Wall Street cautious on INTC stock 

Meanwhile, in addition to Northland Capital Markets’ outlook, the rest of Wall Street is showing skepticism toward INTC shares.

To this end, according to data from 38 analysts tracked by TipRanks, Intel shares carry a consensus ‘Hold’ rating, with 25 analysts recommending holding the stock, 10 issuing buy ratings, and three recommending selling.

The average 12-month price target for Intel stands at $86.94, implying a potential downside of 26.9%. Analysts’ targets vary widely, with the highest forecast reaching $150 while the lowest target sits at $30.

The forecast reflects uncertainty over whether Intel can sustain its sharp momentum after the stock surged significantly over the past year amid investor optimism around its turnaround efforts and AI-related opportunities. 

While some analysts remain bullish on Intel’s restructuring and foundry ambitions, others appear concerned that the current valuation may already price in much of the expected recovery.

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Source: https://finbold.com/intel-intc-stock-hit-with-major-wall-street-downgrade/