Intel (INTC) Shares Surge Premarket Ahead of CES Panther Lake Launch

Intel Corporation (INTC) is experiencing significant premarket momentum on Monday, January 5, 2026, as investors position ahead of the company’s highly anticipated Panther Lake processor launch at CES in Las Vegas. The stock is trading at $41.12 in premarket trading as of 9:10 AM EST, representing a 4.42% gain above Friday’s close of $39.38.

This follows a strong 6.7% rally on Friday that rode a broader semiconductor sector rebound to start 2026. The upcoming CES event, scheduled for Monday evening at 6 PM ET, marks a critical milestone for Intel as it debuts its Core Ultra Series 3 processors built on the company’s advanced 18A manufacturing process.

INTC Shares Gain Momentum Ahead of Panther Lake Reveal

Intel shares are trading at $41.12 in Monday’s premarket session as of 9:10 AM EST, up $1.74 or 4.42% from Friday’s closing price of $39.38. This premarket strength follows an impressive 6.7% gain on Friday, when Intel closed the week riding a broad chip sector rally that saw the Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index climb 4%. The stock is now approaching the psychologically important $42 level, a threshold that traders are watching closely as momentum builds ahead of the CES presentation.

The primary catalyst driving this premarket surge is Intel’s scheduled livestream event at CES on Monday evening at 6 PM ET (3 PM PST). Jim Johnson, senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s Client Computing Group, will lead the presentation to unveil the company’s Panther Lake processors.

These Core Ultra Series 3 chips represent the first mass-production run of Intel’s 18A manufacturing process, which incorporates gate-all-around transistors and backside power delivery technology designed to boost efficiency and performance while helping Intel compete more effectively with TSMC and Samsung.

Trading activity reflects renewed investor interest in the semiconductor sector as markets head into the first full week of 2026. On Friday, approximately 95 million Intel shares changed hands by late afternoon, with premarket activity at the start of 2026 showing around 1.6 million shares trading hands. The stock traded in a range between $37.41 and $39.86 during Friday’s regular session, demonstrating the high volatility that continues to characterize Intel shares around major catalyst events.

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Market Watches Intel’s Technology Roadmap Closely

Intel’s recent momentum has been bolstered by Nvidia’s $5 billion private stock purchase, which gives Nvidia roughly 4% ownership in Intel. This rare strategic partnership between two major chip players has added fuel to Intel’s rally and signals potential collaboration opportunities in the semiconductor industry. The investment comes as Intel works to expand its foundry business and ramp up manufacturing capacity at its Arizona facilities through 2026, targeting AI and data center demand.

The 18A manufacturing node being showcased with Panther Lake represents a critical technical advancement for Intel. By moving power routing to the back of the chip die and implementing gate-all-around transistor technology, Intel aims to demonstrate it can compete with industry leaders TSMC and Samsung on both performance and efficiency metrics. The success of this launch will be crucial for Intel’s competitive positioning in the PC processor market, where it faces intense pressure from AMD, which saw its stock climb 4.3% on Friday.

Analysts have set consensus price targets around the low $40s for Intel over the next 12 months, with the current premarket price of $41.12 already approaching these levels. The stock carries a beta of 1.35, indicating higher volatility than the broader market, and trades at a forward P/E of 66.67.

With the next earnings report scheduled for January 29, 2026, investors will be closely watching both the CES presentation and subsequent earnings guidance for updates on 18A manufacturing yields, foundry customer wins, and 2026 revenue projections. The company’s market cap stands at approximately $187.84 billion, and the stock has gained 94.76% over the past year, though it remains down 12.56% over a five-year period.

Disclaimer: The author does not hold or have a position in any securities discussed in the article. All stock prices were quoted at the time of writing.