Intel (INTC) Q3 2026 Earnings: Date, Expectations, Results Outlook & Key Watchpoints

Quick Stats: Intel Q3 2026 Earnings

Metric	Value
Earnings Date	October 29, 2026, after US market close (results ~1:30 AM IST, earnings call 2:30 AM IST, October 30)
Expected EPS (non-GAAP)	About $0.39 to $0.40, vs $0.23 in Q3 2025; company guidance $0.38
Expected Revenue	About $16.5B, up about 20% YoY from $13.7B; company guidance $15.8B to $16.8B
Gross Margin Guidance	42.0% non-GAAP (41.0% GAAP), vs 41.8% non-GAAP in Q2
2026 Capex	About $20B, raised from about $18B in July
Prior-Quarter Result	Revenue $16.1B vs ~$14.4B estimate, Beat by ~12%; stock fell 7.9% the next session
Analyst Consensus	Hold; mean price target about $117
Options-Implied Move	About 10.7% in either direction

Intel Earnings Date: Q3 2026 Timing and Market Context

Intel will report its third-quarter 2026 financial results on Thursday, October 29, 2026, after the US market close. The release covers the July to September 2026 operating quarter. For Indian market participants tracking US stock derivatives, the earnings release will cross the wire at approximately 1:30 AM IST on Friday, October 30, followed by the executive earnings call at 2:30 AM IST.

INTC closed at $86.96 on October 23, up about 121% since the start of the year but about 39% below its 52-week high of $142.35. The stock fell 8.04% on October 22 in a broad chip selloff that took the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index down 6.72%, before recovering 1.7% the next day. It is now trading below $95, the price at which Intel sold $20B of new stock in August. Options are pricing a move of about 10.7% either way, well above the 5.5% to 7.7% priced for Microsoft, Alphabet and Amazon, which shows how much uncertainty still surrounds Intel’s turnaround.

Also Read: Amazon Q3 2026 Earnings Preview

Intel Q3 2026 Results Outlook: What the Market Is Pricing In

Intel provides explicit quarterly ranges for core financial metrics. Following a sizable revenue beat in Q2, consensus models project Q3 metrics tracking toward the top of management’s guidance band:

Metric	Intel Guidance	Consensus
Revenue	$15.8B to $16.8B	~$16.45B to $16.5B
Gross margin (non-GAAP)	42.0%	Not available
Gross margin (GAAP)	41.0%	Not available
EPS (non-GAAP)	$0.38	~$0.39 to $0.40
EPS (GAAP)	$0.31	Not available
Tax rate (non-GAAP)	11%	Not available

GAAP results need care this quarter. In Q2, Intel reported a GAAP loss of $2.16 per share, mainly because of a $12.5B mark-to-market loss on escrowed shares held for the US Department of Commerce under its CHIPS Act agreement. Those shares are revalued with Intel’s stock price, so GAAP EPS can swing sharply, and the non-GAAP figure is the cleaner comparison with the $0.38 guide.

Source: Intel Q2 2026 earnings release (July 23, 2026); consensus from MarketBeat and media reports.

Prior Quarter (Q2 2026) Snapshot

Metric	Q2 2026 Actual	YoY Change
Revenue	$16.1B (vs ~$14.4B estimate)	+25%
Data Center and AI revenue	$6.3B	+59%
Client Computing and Physical AI revenue	$8.9B	+13%
Intel Foundry revenue	$5.8B	+31%
Gross margin (non-GAAP)	41.8%	Up 12.1 points
EPS (non-GAAP)	$0.42	Up from a $0.10 loss
EPS (GAAP)	Loss of $2.16	Escrowed-share charge
Adjusted free cash flow	Outflow of $8.4B	Includes $12.2B partner outflow
Stock reaction	-7.9% the next session, to $92.32	Inside the ~12.2% implied move

Q2 delivered Intel’s strongest revenue growth in more than 15 years, according to CEO Lip-Bu Tan. Revenue grew 25% to $16.1B, about 12% above the roughly $14.4B consensus, and Data Center and AI revenue jumped 59% as AI workloads lifted demand for server CPUs. The stock still fell 7.9% the next day, because Intel raised its 2026 capex plan to about $20B from about $18B and CFO Dave Zinsner said spending would rise meaningfully again in 2027. The adjusted free cash flow outflow of $8.4B reflected a $12.2B net outflow tied to partner contributions. Intel had also agreed in April to buy back Apollo’s 49% stake in its Ireland fab joint venture for $14.2B.

Analyst Sentiment on Intel Stock

Wall Street sentiment remains balanced, carrying an aggregate Hold consensus rating:

• Target Disparity: The mean 12-month price target sits near $117 (representing ~35% upside from recent closes near $87). Bullish targets reach $155 (KeyBanc), while conservative firms maintain Neutral ratings with targets near $105 (Susquehanna).
• Technical Levels: Following an 8% drop during broader chip sector volatility in late October, the stock found initial support near $81.64 (the July low), with deeper secondary support at $70.23.
• Overhead Resistance: Overhead resistance stands at $95.50—coinciding with the $95 level where Intel raised $20 billion in equity funding in August—followed by $99.98 and $103.12. Relative Strength Index (RSI) levels near 30 place the stock near technically oversold bands.

What Matters Most in Intel Q3 2026 Earnings

Data Center and AI Demand

The Data Center and AI (DCAI) unit expanded 59% YoY to $6.3 billion in Q2, driven by enterprise server refresh cycles supporting hybrid AI workloads. Investors will evaluate whether shipment volumes for Xeon 6 and advanced server processors can sustain double-digit momentum against competing x86 and custom silicon architectures.

Gross Margin and the Q4 Guide

Gross margins reflect execution efficiency. Having guided Q3 non-GAAP gross margins to 42.0%, forward guidance for Q4 will determine whether manufacturing yields are improving. A Q4 margin projection above 42% indicates that factory utilization is normalizing, while a print below 41% would signal that ramp costs on advanced nodes are dampening profitability.

Foundry: 18A, 14A and Terafab

Intel Foundry grew 31% to $5.8B in Q2, mostly from making Intel’s own chips. In 18A, Intel launched Xeon 6+, its first server product on the node, and began high-volume manufacturing for part of its Panther Lake PC lineup. The bigger question is external customers for 14A, the next node, where Intel expects customers to make decisions between the second half of 2026 and the first half of 2027. 

Tesla has selected 14A for the Terafab chip project tied to Tesla and SpaceX, but Musk has also confirmed talks with TSMC on the same project, so traders should listen for named customers and firm volume commitments; see our note on Musk’s TSMC Terafab talks.

Capex, Cash and Funding

Intel expects to spend about $20B on capex in 2026, and Zinsner has said 2027 spending will rise meaningfully as Intel invests in equipment, clean room space and substrates. To fund that, Intel raised about $19.7B in net proceeds by selling 210.5 million new shares at $95 in August. Traders should watch for a first 2027 capex figure and for how far the cash raised in August will stretch, because a large 2027 number without matching revenue visibility would repeat the reaction that followed Q2.

Bull and Bear Scenarios

Bullish scenario: If revenue lands near the $16.8B top of the guide, gross margin reaches 42% or better with a Q4 guide to match, and management names firm 14A customers, INTC has room to reclaim $95.50. A move through that level would open a path toward $99.98 and then $103.12.

Bearish scenario: If gross margin misses 42%, the Q4 guide disappoints, or a large 2027 capex number arrives without new customers, traders should watch $81.64, the July low, as first support. A break below it opens a path toward $70.23.

For Indian traders, post-earnings price action on INTC will be reflected in CoinDCX US Stock Futures from approximately 1:30 AM IST on October 30, before Indian equity markets open at 9:15 AM IST.

Track all US earnings coverage in our US stocks hub

How to Trade Intel (INTC) from India on CoinDCX

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to trade INTC through CoinDCX US Stock Futures from India.

• Open the CoinDCX App: Launch the official application on your mobile device.
• Log In to Your Account: Authenticate your verified CoinDCX account credentials.
• Fund Your Futures Wallet in INR: Deposit Indian rupees directly into your US Stock Futures wallet with zero foreign exchange conversion steps.
• Locate the Contract: Search for INTC inside the US Stock Futures product tab.
• Set Order Details and Execute: Choose a Long or Short order based on your earnings outlook, select your preferred leverage and margin settings, and submit your trade.

This trading setup avoids international banking remittances, overseas brokerage accounts, and foreign currency conversion charges.

Read our detailed tutorial blog: How to Trade on US Stocks Movements

Disclaimer

This article has been prepared by the CoinDCX Research Team for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or trading advice. All data and figures cited are sourced from publicly available information including Intel’s official investor relations materials, SEC filings, and third-party financial sources at the time of publication. Past performance of any stock, including INTC, is not indicative of future results. Trading US Stock Futures involves risk, including the risk of loss of capital. Please conduct your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making any trading or investment decisions. CoinDCX is not liable for any trading decisions made based on the content of this article.

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