Intel stock ends the day up 12.7 percent at the close

At the close on September 21, 2026, Intel stock finished the Nasdaq session at about USD 122.36, up 12.67 percent, outpacing a roughly 1.6 percent gain in the Nasdaq Composite. Strong AI-chip demand and bullish analyst sentiment toward Intel’s turnaround helped drive the move.

Intel stock closed on the Nasdaq on September 21, 2026 at about USD 122.36, gaining roughly 12.67 percent from the prior close in a surge that put the shares well ahead of the broader market. Compared with the Nasdaq Composite’s gain of about 1.6 percent by late morning, Intel’s move marked a standout rally among large technology names.

September 21, 2026 in numbers

Intel Corp. (ISIN US4581401001, Nasdaq: INTC) opened sharply higher and during the session traded around USD 122.36, with the price sitting comfortably within today’s intraday range on the Nasdaq and well above recent closes near USD 108.60. Per data shown by TechStock² using Yahoo Finance figures, the shares were up 12.67 percent by about 11:01 a.m. ET, while intraday volume near that time reached roughly 73.9 million shares, about 0.68 times the reported three-month average volume, indicating an active but not extreme session.

According to GuruFocus, Intel’s price jump of about 13.35 percent to near USD 123.09 came with a sharp spike in options activity, with contracts almost tripling typical daily volume and a clear tilt toward call options, highlighting strong bullish positioning. A broader market report from TechStock² noted that Intel and Advanced Micro Devices led large technology shares higher as falling oil prices and easing Treasury yields supported risk assets, helping the stock outpace the main indices.

After the bell today and next session

After the close today, Intel shares may remain in focus in after-hours trading as investors digest the strong move and continued optimism around its AI and foundry turnaround, which several recent analyst calls have highlighted in pushing price targets toward and above the USD 120 level per the TechStock² overview. On the next U.S. trading day, September 22, 2026, attention is likely to stay on semiconductor and broader technology stocks as traders watch whether lower oil prices and slightly softer bond yields persist, a backdrop that TechStock² linked to Monday’s Nasdaq strength. Any new company updates or sector news tied to artificial intelligence infrastructure could influence Intel’s next-session performance.