Intel (INTC) guidance drove steep selloff

January 23, 2026 at 21:00 UTC

4 min read

Intel stock price drops sharply after weak earnings guidance, affecting technology sector

Key Points

Intel (INTC) had reported Q4 results above guidance but issued weaker Q1 revenue and EPS guidance amid acute supply constraints, and the stock sold off sharply.
Germany's HCOB manufacturing flash unexpectedly strengthened, and that improvement supported European industrial names and a modest DAX (DAX) gain.
The Bank of Japan released its Statement on Monetary Policy and that policy news had been cited in Asian-session positioning, aiding regional index gains.
Sector leadership had been concentrated in materials, energy and consumer staples while financials, industrials and healthcare lagged amid headline-driven stock moves.

Global Market Summary

US equities finished modestly higher: the S&P 500 (SPX) rose 0.03% while the Nasdaq (^IXIC) gained 0.30%, with broad sector gains offsetting a steep decline in Intel (INTC) after its guidance. Europe was mixed: the DAX (DAX) rose 0.18% while the CAC (FRA40) and FTSE (UKX) slipped about 0.07%, as Germany's HCOB manufacturing flash unexpectedly strengthened to 48.7 (consensus 47.8). Asia closed higher, with Shanghai (000001.SS) +0.33%, the Hang Seng (HSI) +0.45% and the Nikkei (NKY) +0.29%, following the BoJ policy statement.

Top Movers

Sector leaders: XLB +0.77%, XLE +0.68%, XLP +0.66%. Sector laggards: XLF -1.37%, XLI -0.92%, XLV -0.53%. Notable stock moves: LIF +22.75%, TMC +12.86%, CRML +10.80%; INTC -17.03%, APGE -12.17%, STVN -10.70%.

Macro highlights

Germany's HCOB manufacturing flash unexpectedly strengthened to 48.7 versus a 47.8 consensus, supporting European industrial names. The Bank of Japan released its Statement on Monetary Policy after the Jan 22–23 meeting, a development flagged in the news flow and cited in Asian-session positioning.

News that moved markets

Intel (INTC) reported Q4 revenue and non-GAAP EPS above guidance but issued weaker Q1 revenue and EPS guidance amid acute supply constraints; the stock sold off in premarket trading and finished down 17.03%. The news feed also highlighted President Trump's announced one-year 10% cap on credit-card interest rates and the BoJ policy statement, both cited as political and policy items influencing market headlines. Equinox Gold completed the sale of its Brazil operations for US$1.015 billion, paying down more than US$800 million of debt and reducing net debt to US$150 million; iRobot completed its court-supervised transaction with Picea; and BioCryst completed its acquisition of Astria Therapeutics. Announced transactions included Atlantic International Corp.'s acquisition of Circle8 Group to form a $1.2 billion workforce-solutions platform, MAAS's agreement to acquire Times Good, and SKG's post-combination plan targeting a Nasdaq IPO.

Upcoming session watchlist

US Durable Goods Orders MoM (NOV) — consensus 0.5% vs -2.2% prior, Jan 26, 01:30 PM | Tracks manufacturing demand and near-term business investment momentum.
DE Ifo Business Climate (JAN) — forecast 88.4 vs 87.6 prior, Jan 26, 09:00 AM | Provides an early read on German growth and corporate sentiment.

Key Takeaways

US equities finished modestly higher as broad sector gains offset a steep Intel (INTC) decline after its weaker guidance and premarket selloff.
European markets were mixed; stronger German manufacturing data supported industrials while the CAC (FRA40) and FTSE (UKX) finished slightly softer.
Asia closed higher after the BoJ policy statement influenced positioning, with gains recorded across Shanghai, the Hang Seng (HSI) and the Nikkei (NKY).
Corporate activity included completed asset sales and deal closings plus announced acquisitions and a post-combination IPO plan, reshaping company capital structures.