Intel Corp (NASDAQ:INTC) drew praise from market commentators on Thursday after posting second-quarter results that topped estimates, with investors and analysts focusing on the company’s AI-driven demand, higher capital spending plans and long-term foundry roadmap.

Cheers For Cheer AI-Driven Quarter

CNBC’s Jim Cramer called Intel “the one” after the results and said listening to the company was “to listen to seasoned team that counts every penny before it spends it.”

Intel's the one.

— Jim Cramer (@jimcramer) July 23, 2026

To listen to Intel is to listen to seasoned team that counts every penny before it spends it to develop a foundry, build a new cpu or, soon, to excel packaging

— Jim Cramer (@jimcramer) July 23, 2026

Patrick Moorhead, CEO and chief analyst of Moor Insights & Strategy, said no one should be surprised Intel “crushed earnings,” citing unprecedented demand for data center CPUs driven by agentic AI, pricing gains, higher volumes, and improving supply.

No one should be surprised $INTC crushed earnings. Datacenter CPUs are in unprecedented demand due to agentic AI and they have very high market share. Price hikes, increased volumes, supply catch-ups were all part of the numbers. While I’d like to know more about its non-CPU… https://t.co/ItxtDFMpGH

— Patrick Moorhead (@PatrickMoorhead) July 23, 2026

Future Equities’ Shay Boloor called Intel’s quarter a “victory lap” and added that the company’s expanding AI portfolio, strengthening foundry business and disciplined capital allocation show a “second growth curve” driven by agentic AI.

$INTC earns its victory lap after a quarter that beats expectations across revenue, margins, earnings, manufacturing execution and guidance.

Agentic AI is creating a second growth curve for server CPUs because every accelerator requires significant general-purpose compute around… pic.twitter.com/EcJGkt0hDf

— Shay Boloor (@StockSavvyShay) July 24, 2026

CapEx Plans Become The Biggest Talking Point

Deepwater Asset Management‘s Gene Munster said Intel’s decision to raise its capital spending outlook shows growing confidence in long-term customer commitments after the management said it would not increase investment without demand to support it.

“If you’re an Intel investor, you’ve got to be counting your blessings,” Munster said in an interview with CNBC.

At the same time, Munster said higher capital expenditures could weigh on the stock in the near term, while adding that Intel investors “can sleep well at night” knowing the company’s 14A process technology could become a major catalyst in 2028.

Earnings

Intel reported second-quarter revenue of $16.13 billion, topping analyst estimates of $14.42 billion.

Adjusted earnings came in at 42 cents per share, well above the consensus estimate of 21 cents, according to Benzinga Pro.

Price Action: Shares of INTC fell 2.33% to $100.23 but gained 4.37% in extended trading on the earnings announcement after the bell.

Benzinga edge rankings indicate INTC has a Momentum score in the 99th percentile, while it has a negative price trend in the short term and a positive price trend in the medium and long term.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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