The Changing World Order - Intel, Netflix, & The Davos Panic: The Weekly Sift Stack - 1.20.2026 (Issue 11)

This material is for educational purposes only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal. Any forward-looking statements or expectations regarding company earnings are based on publicly available analyst estimates and are not predictions or guarantees of future performance.

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Index Tracker Year-To-Date Performance 1.20.2026 Market Close:

• S&P 500 TR: (0.86)% - Price: 6,796.86

• NASDAQ TR: (1.20)% - Price: 22,954.32

• Russell 2000 TR: 5.49% - Price: 2,645.36

• MSCI International EAFE TR: 2.66% - Price: 10,886.42

• Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index TR: (0.30)% - Price: 2,349.05

• 10-Year Treasury Yield: 4.289%

• 30-year Mortgage Rate: 6.06%

• Gold: 9.78% - Price: $4,871.40 per oz.

• Bitcoin: 0.11% - Price: $88,731.42

• U.S. Dollar Index: 0.31% - Price: 98.58

• Crude Oil: 3.81% - Price: $59.61 per barrel

• Core Inflation 12.31.2025:

  • Year Over Year: 2.6%

  • Month Over Month: 0.2%

• Consumer Price Index 12.31.2025

  • Year Over Year: 2.7%

  • Month Over Month: 0.3%

Index Tracker Notes:

The S&P 500 had a steady past week that has largely been wiped out with the volatility of Tuesday 1/20/2026. Rising geopolitical tensions contributed to a selloff in both U.S. stocks and bonds, along the U.S. dollar seeing its biggest drop since April last year. President Trump has escalated trade threats against the EU tied to Greenland, rattling investor confidence in U.S. assets. Meanwhile, the safe haven asset, Gold, continued to surge, with nearly its best day since October.

Stock of The Week: Intel Corp (INTC)

The Stakes For The Comeback Kid

Intel is the major U.S. semiconductor company that has been in the headlines throughout 2025-2026. As Intel prepares to report earnings this Thursday, January 22nd, 2026 at 5 PM EST, after a period of significant decline, the company is attempting one of the biggest turnarounds in tech history. Here are the big things to know ahead of the call.

Understanding Intel’s Core Business Operations

Despite recent challenges, Intel remains a global titan in computer infrastructure and still holds the title for largest manufacturer of microprocessors as well as central processing units (CPUs) of PCs. Think of CPUs as the brains of PCs and servers. Intel also sells chipsets, functioning as the PC or server’s nervous system, enabling communication between the CPU and other key components, such as memory, storage, display, and input devices.

Intel has been considered in decline for sometime but has gained renewed interest as geopolitical tensions have been stoked around Taiwan, where leading semiconductor companies hold major operations, particularly - NVIDIA, TSMC, & AMD. This has put pressure on the US to increase domestic chip manufacturing capabilities.

Intel Stock Movement

We have seen Intel stock grow tremendously throughout the past month, up nearly 35% since NVIDIA’s $5b purchase in late December 2025 and growing nearly 96% since the U.S. government’s $8.9b investment into Intel on 8/22. This has provided Intel with crucial capital, strategic validation, and a boost to its foundry business. Of course, some challenges remain in closing the tech gap. Another important item to note is that the company currently has an astronomical price to earnings (PE) ratio of 4,612.08 since their trailing earnings were super low during the turnaround phase. The PE ratio takes the current stock price divided by earnings per share. Some investors view lower price-to-earnings ratios as a potential value consideration, though interpretations vary and outcomes are uncertain. For reference, the S&P 500’s current PE ratio is at about 30.

Another important item for Intel is Foundry development, as they enable more independent manufacturing of chips, encourage process leadership, and helps diversify revenue from the traditional CPU market. These foundries are basically the factories that manufacture the silicon and chips.

Big 3 things to look out for on the upcoming Intel earnings call

1. AI & Data Center Traction: Is Intel actually gain ground: Is Intel actually gaining ground in AI and servers? Watch demand, customer wins, and how competitive they sound vs NVIDIA and AMD.

2. Margins and Cost Control: Gross margins tell the turnaround story. Are margins stabilizing or improving as Intel restructures and trims costs?

   1. Last earnings call in September 2025, Intel posted a nearly 3% gain in revenue and 124% gain in net income, we will see if these trends continue this Thursday.

3. Foundry Progress: This is the long game and customer commitments matter more than near-term profits.

Bottom Line: Ultimately direction over numbers, AI credibility and foundry execution will be the big drivers of the stock.

Intel Corp (INTC) Key Facts

• CEO: Lip-Bu Tan

• Founded in 1968 by Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce in Santa Clara, California

• Market Cap: $234 Billion

• Sector: Technology - Semiconductors

• 52-week range: $17.67-$50.38

• Morningstar Economic Moat Rating: None

• PE Ratio: 4,612.08

Intel Corp (INTC) vs SPDR Shares S&P 500 ETF (SPY) over the past 5-years

Weekly Insight: Streaming Showdown - Netflix Goes All-In With $82.7B Cash Bid

Netflix (NFLX) has switched to an $82.7 billion all-cash offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), aiming to block a competing bid from Paramount (PSKY). Warner’s board prefers this deal because Netflix has much less debt and better financial health, even though Paramount offered a higher price per share. This move is designed to speed up the merger and provide stability after Netflix’s stock price recently took a hit. Shareholders are expected to vote on the deal this April, though government regulators may still review it for competition concerns. 

Davos 2026: Power, Policy, & A Changing Global Order

The Davos summit is the annual gathering of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. This brings global leaders, CEOs, and policymakers together against a backdrop of rising geopolitical tension and shifting economic power. Key themes centered on deglobalization, AI-driven productivity, energy security, and the strain on monetary and political institutions, as leaders debate how to stabilize markets while navigating trade conflicts, climate commitments, and a more fragmented world economy.

Did You Know?

Sift Stack Flashback: On January 19, 2024 - the S&P 500 achieved its 1st record closing high in over two years, signaling a confirmation of a renewed bull market after the drop in 2022.

Poll Question

Last week’s poll results - “Which bank stock will perform best in 2026?”

1. 50% Voted - JPMorgan (JPM)

2. 25% Voted - Goldman Sachs (GS)

3. 12.5% Voted - Citi (C)

4. 12.5% Voted - Capital One (COF)

   

   Pictured is JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon

Quote Of The Week

“Success breeds complacency. Complacency breeds failure. Only the paranoid survive.”

-Former Intel CEO, Andy Grove

Feel free send feedback or further input on the poll question to [email protected] or [email protected]. We would love to hear from you!