Intel Surges 9% as Planned 10% CPU Price Hike and High-NA EUV Milestone Drive Broad Chip Rally

Intel shares climbed roughly 9% on Tuesday, topping pre-market volume with more than 18.5 million shares traded, as two separate catalysts converged: a DigiTimes report citing unnamed sources that the chipmaker plans to raise PC CPU prices by approximately 10% beginning in early October, and news of a mass-production lead on High-NA EUV nodes alongside strong second-quarter server CPU momentum.

The prospective price increase drew the most immediate market reaction, with analysts framing it as a meaningful step toward margin recovery. Northland Securities analyst Gus Richard upgraded Intel from Market Perform to Outperform, and a separate Wall Street call set a $120 price target on an Outperform rating, both citing the pricing power signal and material turnaround progress. A Benzinga report added that at least one analyst also flagged upside tied to a Musk-linked Terafab foundry opportunity.

The High-NA EUV production news lifted the broader semiconductor equipment complex as well, with ASML and Taiwan Semiconductor each advancing roughly 3%. Qualcomm, AMD, and Broadcom also rallied as Intel led chip stocks higher against a softer broader market, where the S&P 500 fell 0.4% and the Dow fell 1% by early afternoon.

The day's move extended a sharp run for Intel: the stock has risen roughly 311% over the past year, lifting the U.S. government's 9.9% stake to an estimated $36 billion paper gain. Jim Cramer, whose charitable trust holds Intel, publicly urged President Trump, who had been posting about Washington's paper profit on the stake over the weekend, to hold the position. Pre-market trading briefly pushed shares past $100, with the stock up nearly 20% over the prior five days heading into Tuesday's session.