At its CES launch event in Las Vegas, Intel introduced the Core Ultra Series 3 family, debuting three SKUs with up to 12 processing cores and peak boost frequencies of 5.4 GHz. The new chips, built on Intel’s 4-nanometer process node, deliver a claimed 20% uplift in single-threaded performance and up to 35% improvement in AI inferencing tasks compared with the prior generation. OEM partners including Dell, HP and Lenovo have already committed to integrating these processors into more than 15 laptop models scheduled for release in Q2, targeting both ultrabook and workstation segments.

During the first trading week of 2026, Kevin Simpson, CIO of Capital Wealth Planning, disclosed a fresh allocation to Intel shares on CNBC’s Halftime Report. Simpson purchased approximately 120,000 shares, boosting his firm’s weighting in Intel to roughly 3% of its large-cap equity sleeve. He cited the new Ultra Series 3 architecture and improved supply chain visibility as drivers, noting that institutional ownership of Intel has climbed by 4 percentage points over the last six months.

Intel shares surged 84.1% in 2025, propelled by strong data-center demand and margin expansion. However, investors are watching closely as gross margins narrowed by 200 basis points to 54% in Q4 2025, reflecting rising fab operating costs. In addition, ongoing trade tensions with key Asian partners and slow ramp-up of its advanced foundry capacity pose execution risks. Analysts at two major brokerages forecast mid-single-digit revenue growth for 2026 and have projected earnings per share to grow between 5% and 8%, signaling a more moderate trajectory compared with the prior year’s breakout performance.