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Stock Market Today, May 18: Intel Slips After AI Bubble Risk Warning Offsets Early Gains

May 18, 2026 — 05:34 pm EDT

Written by

Howard Smith for

The Motley Fool->

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), a major PC and data center chipmaker, closed Monday at $108.17, down 0.55%. The stock slipped during the regular session as traders weighed recent earnings strength and AI-driven momentum against profit-taking after last week’s volatility and a fresh warning about potential AI “bubble risk.”

Trading volume reached 143.9 million shares, coming in about 26% above its three-month average of 113.8 million shares. Intel IPO'd in 1980 and has grown 33,130% since going public.

How the markets moved today

The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) inched down 0.07% to 7,403, while the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) fell 0.51% to 26,091 as growth stocks eased. Among semiconductors, Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) closed at $420.99 (-0.73%) and Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) finished at $222.32 (-1.33%), underscoring broad sector pressure on chipmakers.

What this means for investors

Intel stock has been on a tear, nearly tripling this year, even after a recent pullback. The stock has dropped more than 15% in the past four trading sessions.

It’s not surprising to see profit-taking after the stock’s massive surge even as two Wall Street analysts raised price targets today. Citigroup (NYSE:C) analyst Atif Malik raises his target share price to $130 from $95 per share, while Benchmark Equity Research analyst Cody Acree is also bullish with a new $140 price target.

Both views see AI momentum continuing, giving Intel shares room for further upside. If the total market for CPUs grows by 35% annually due to demand for processors that support AI agents., as Malik thinks is possible, Intel may resume its rise soon.

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Citigroup is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Howard Smith has positions in Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Intel, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.