Intel's 9% Jump Lifts AI-Driven Portfolio as Turnaround Progress Mounts

Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) closed Tuesday at $104.47, up $8.67, marking a 9.05% single-session gain on volume of roughly 140 million shares, more than double its recent average. An AI-powered strategy has held the stock since June 1, and the position is now up 17.4% since the start of September. Intel is currently held in two model portfolios: Tech Titans, which screens the market monthly for its 15 most compelling technology stocks, and Beat the S&P 500, a 20-stock AI-refined strategy drawn from the full S&P 500. Investors can see all current holdings of both strategies through the ProPicks AI service on InvestingPro.

Tuesday's rally unfolded in two distinct waves. Earlier in the session, Intel completed a $20 billion underwritten common stock offering at $95 per share, upsized from an initial $15 billion. Nvidia separately disclosed a stake in Intel valued at approximately $30 billion, alongside reports that SK Hynix is evaluating Intel's foundry for future HBM4E memory production. That news alone contributed a few percentage points to the stock's gain.

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The larger push came later in the session. DigiTimes reported that Intel may raise CPU prices by as much as 10% later this year, marking its third such increase in 2026 after hikes in the first quarter and July, signaling genuine pricing power amid an industry-wide chip shortage. Northland Securities analyst Gus Richard upgraded the stock to Outperform the same day, setting a $120 price target and citing "material progress" in Intel's turnaround and its foundry ambitions. Combined, these catalysts produced Intel's full 9% gain, with a 52-week range now extending from $24.05 to $142.35.

This pattern is evident across both model portfolios, not just in a single stock. Tech Titans is outperforming its S&P 500 benchmark by 4.68 percentage points, while Beat the S&P 500 is ahead by 2.56 points, both ranking among the strongest excess returns among U.S. strategies today. Another Tech Titans holding, Applied Materials, has gained roughly 7% since September 1 amid the broader AI chip-equipment rally, demonstrating that the strength is not isolated to Intel.

Intel's climb also highlights the steep decline and partial recovery of the stock. The 52-week high of $142.35 sits 36% above Tuesday's close, meaning that even after this rally, shares remain well below where they traded a year ago. The AI-powered model is weighing that context alongside the fresh catalysts of pricing power and the capital raise as it continues to hold the position in both books for now.

Current subscribers can access the full list of September picks directly.

Data as of September 9, 2026, reflecting the September 8 close (up 9.05% on the day) and month-to-date performance from September 1. Past performance does not guarantee future results.