Most ***** yst rating changes move a single notch. So when one of the more closely followed semiconductor ***** ysts skips the middle rating and jumps two rungs at once, it's worth a closer look -- not necessarily as a reason to buy, but as a window into how the thinking around artificial intelligence (AI) spending may be changing.
That's what happened on June 11, when Bank of America's Vivek Arya double-upgraded Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) to buy from underperform, lifting his price target to $135 from $96. Banks tend to reserve a move like that for moments when the thesis they had been betting against breaks. And it came after Intel had already more than tripled in 2026 -- less a call on a forgotten stock than a bet that the turnaround has further to run.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Intel shares rose about 6% in the following session, closing near $125 as of this writing.
The more useful question isn't whether the target is right. It's what the upgrade says about the next phase of the AI trade.