Intel (INTC) Stock Surges 4% in Premarket on High-NA EUV Milestone

Key Takeaways

• Intel shares advanced over 4% during Tuesday’s premarket session, extending a 4% rally from Monday
• Intel Foundry and ASML announced successful processing of more than 1 million wafers with High-NA EUV technology
• The advanced technology is deployed on Intel’s 18A manufacturing process for upcoming Panther Lake chips and is achieving performance goals
• President Trump highlighted the stock in an AI-generated Truth Social image, drawing additional investor focus
• Analysts maintain a consensus Hold rating with a mean price target of $116.16, suggesting 21% potential upside

Intel shares were climbing more than 4% in premarket trading Tuesday, reaching approximately $98.95, following a 4% increase in the previous trading session. The semiconductor giant has now posted gains exceeding 10% across three consecutive sessions.

Intel Corp., INTC

The rally followed an announcement from Intel Foundry and ASML revealing a significant achievement in High-NA Extreme Ultraviolet lithography technology. The chipmaker confirmed it has successfully processed over one million wafers utilizing this cutting-edge technology throughout testing phases, research and development, and full-scale production.

High-NA EUV represents an advanced chipmaking methodology engineered to manufacture increasingly sophisticated processors and artificial intelligence chips. Intel has integrated this technology into specific layers of its 18A manufacturing process, which underpins the forthcoming Panther Lake processor lineup.

According to the company, critical metrics including overlay precision, production throughput, and equipment uptime are all achieving target benchmarks. Additionally, chips manufactured on Intel 18A utilizing High-NA EUV technology are delivering performance that equals or surpasses comparable layers produced with ASML’s conventional NXE EUV systems.

ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet described Intel as “one of the key leaders” in adopting High-NA EUV technology. Intel deployed the industry’s first commercial ASML EXE High-NA system in 2024 and has subsequently transitioned it to full production status.

The stock also received unusual attention Monday when President Trump shared an AI-created image on Truth Social depicting a hypothetical Intel purchase at $20 alongside a current price of $95, asserting his administration’s policies have created “Hundreds of Billions of Dollars” in value for Americans through equities and other investments.

Mask Infrastructure and Scaling Roadmap

Intel and ASML are collaborating to maintain High-NA EUV compatibility with the semiconductor industry’s standard 6-inch photomasks. Clients have the flexibility to design within conventional mask dimensions or leverage Intel Foundry’s proprietary stitching capabilities.

The chipmaker has invested over three years developing pathways to larger 6×12-inch photomasks to enable next-generation chip scaling. This initiative involves coordination with ASML, mask suppliers, electronic design automation partners, and materials vendors to establish the requisite manufacturing ecosystem.

Intel EVP and Foundry Co-General Manager Naga Chandrasekaran emphasized that tomorrow’s AI products require manufacturing capabilities that are production-proven and customer-friendly.

Wall Street Ratings and Technical Analysis

Intel maintains a consensus Hold rating from Wall Street analysts, based on five Buy ratings, 24 Hold ratings, and two Sell ratings issued over the past three months. The mean price target stands at $116.16, indicating approximately 21% upside potential from current trading levels.

Mizuho reaffirmed a Neutral stance on September 4 while lowering its price target to $92. Bank of America maintained a Buy rating on August 12 with a $145 target. UBS continued its Neutral rating with a $112 price objective.

From a technical perspective, Intel is trading 33% above its 200-day moving average of $74.15. The stock remains slightly below its 50-day simple moving average of $100.61 and its 100-day SMA of $103.86. The relative strength index reads 50.33, indicating neutral market momentum.

Primary resistance is located near the $107.50 level. Support is positioned around $89.50.

Technology investor Dan Niles noted that Intel’s expanded $20 billion capital raise reinforces his thesis that the company may be securing major foundry customer contracts that necessitate additional manufacturing capacity.

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