Shares in Intel (INTC) stock have skyrocketed in 2026, and closed out this past week trading at a new all-time high. The stock has climbed an impressive 122% so far this year, and just celebrated its best-performing month in Intel’s 55-year history on the Nasdaq Composite. Intel’s Q1 earnings beat was the cherry on top in April; therefore, how high could INTC climb in May 2026?
Intel’s most recent numbers suggest this is not a one-off surge, but rather the opening chapter of a multiyear rally. As the AI wave continues to dominate in tech and CPUs become increasingly valuable, Intel is at the forefront of that demand. Further, Wall Street appears convinced the tide may be turning, with Intel’s latest 18A chips showing real promise as they churn out of the company’s new Arizona plant.
At the same time, agentic AI is spinning up a major resurgence in demand for Intel’s core product, the central processing unit. Bank of America predicts the CPU market could more than double by 2030, and Nvidia told CNBC in March that “CPUs are becoming the bottleneck” for AI. “The CPU is reinserting itself as the indispensable foundation of the AI era,” Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan said on the company’s earnings call last week, adding that demand for its data center CPU exceeds supply.
Also Read: Donald Trump to Increase Tariffs on EU Cars and Trucks to 25%
Furthermore, Intel has an impressive list of strategic backers supporting it, further proving its value in 2026. Last year, the U.S. government converted unpaid CHIPS Act and Secure Enclave funds into roughly a 10% equity stake, making it the company’s largest shareholder. NVIDIA subsequently invested $5 billion, and SoftBank added another $2 billion. More recently, Intel announced a multiyear collaboration with Alphabet’s Google for its Xeon processors; its Xeon 6 was selected as the host CPU for Nvidia’s DGX Rubin NVL8 systems; and it joined the Terafab semiconductor project alongside SpaceX, xAI, and Tesla.
The current Intel ATH market price of $99 is significantly higher than the price targets set by Wall Street analysts, with Loop Capital’s target at $25 and Rosenblatt’s at $50. Therefore, guidance on how high INTC could go in May 2026. However, Intel (INTC) just delivered one of its strongest quarters in years, and it could become a crucial asset in your portfolio if you capitalize on its strength now. Presently, analysts at Financhill forecast INTC to climb another 1-4% in May. However, the stock’s 100% surge in April could easily be duplicated again in May, sending INTC to the $175-$200 price level.
Source: Watcher Guru
