Is Intel Undervalued At These Prices?

With shares of Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) trading around $23.90, is INTC an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE or STAY AWAY? Let’s analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Intel designs and manufactures integrated digital technology platforms including microprocessors and chipsets. The company sells these platforms primarily to original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, and industrial and communications equipment manufacturers in the computing and communications industries. Intel’s platforms are used in a range of applications, such as personal computers, data centers, tablets, smartphones, automobiles, automated factory systems and medical devices.

The company  also develops and sells software and services primarily focused on security and technology integration. Microprocessors, chipsets, and software products and services are at the root of most technological progress. A bellwether and main provider like Intel will see rising demand and increased market share as it is the only viable option for a growing consumer base and expanding companies worldwide.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart are Mixed

Intel stock has been fairly stagnant over the last few years. The stock is now trading near the middle of a range extending back several years. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, Intel is trading between its key averages which signal neutral price action in the near-term.

(Source: Thinkorswim)

Taking a look at the implied volatility (red) and implied volatility skew levels of Intel options may help determine if investors are bullish, neutral, or bearish.

What does this mean? This means that investors or traders are buying a minimal amount of call and put options contracts, as compared to the last 30 and 90 trading days.

As of today, there is an average demand from call buyers or sellers and low demand by put buyers or high demand by put sellers, all neutral to bullish over the next two months. To summarize, investors are buying a minimal amount of call and put option contracts and are leaning neutral to bullish over the next two months.

On the next page, let’s take a look at the earnings and revenue growth rates and the conclusion.

E = Earnings Are Decreasing Quarter-Over-Quarter

Rising stock prices are often strongly correlated with rising earnings and revenue growth rates. Also, the last four quarterly earnings announcement reactions help gauge investor sentiment on Intel’s stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for Intel look like and more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?

Intel has seen decreasing earnings and revenue figures over most of the last four quarters. From these numbers, the markets have been a bit confused with Intel’s recent earnings announcements.

P = Weak Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has Intel stock done relative to its peers, AMD (NYSE:AMD), Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN), Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), and sector?

Intel has been a weak relative performer, year-to-date.

Conclusion

Intel is a developer and distributor of valuable technology products including microprocessors, chipsets, and software to a growing consumer and company base worldwide. The stock has been fairly stagnant over the last several years and is currently trading near the middle of a range that extends back a few years. Over the last four quarters, investors in the company have been a bit confused as earnings and revenue figures have been decreasing. Relative to its peers and sector, Intel has been a weak year-to-date performer. WAIT AND SEE what Intel does this coming quarter.

Using a solid investing framework such as this can help improve your stock-picking skills. Don’t waste another minute — click here and get our CHEAT SHEET stock picks now.