You can buy Intel stock (ticker: INTC) through any major online brokerage account in minutes, with no commissions and no minimum deposit required. Intel trades on the Nasdaq exchange, making it accessible through every mainstream broker, and you can purchase full shares or fractional shares starting with just a few dollars.
Open a Brokerage Account
If you don’t already have one, you’ll need a brokerage account. The largest platforms, including Fidelity, Charles Schwab, Interactive Brokers, and Robinhood, all charge $0 account minimums and $0 commissions on stock trades. Opening an account typically takes 10 to 15 minutes online. You’ll provide your name, Social Security number, date of birth, employment information, and a funding source like a bank account.
Once your account is open, you’ll transfer money from your bank. ACH transfers are free but can take one to three business days to settle, though many brokers give you immediate buying power for a portion of the deposit. Wire transfers are faster but often carry a fee.
Place Your Order
Search for Intel’s ticker symbol, INTC, in your broker’s trading platform. You’ll choose between a few order types:
- Market order: Buys shares immediately at whatever the current price is. This is the simplest option and works well for a widely traded stock like Intel, where the gap between the buying and selling price is typically just a penny or two.
- Limit order: Lets you set the maximum price you’re willing to pay. Your order only fills if the stock reaches that price or lower. This gives you more control, especially if the stock is moving quickly during the trading day.
Enter the number of shares (or the dollar amount, if your broker supports fractional shares), review the order summary, and confirm. During regular market hours, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern, a market order on Intel typically fills within seconds.
Buy Fractional Shares With Less Money
If Intel’s share price is more than you want to commit, fractional shares let you invest any dollar amount. Fidelity, Charles Schwab, Interactive Brokers, Robinhood, and M1 Finance all support fractional trading on U.S.-listed stocks. You could invest $10 or $50 and own a slice of one share proportional to your investment.
Fractional shares earn dividends and gain or lose value exactly like whole shares, just scaled to the fraction you own. This is useful for building a position gradually or keeping your portfolio balanced without needing to buy full shares of every stock.
Use Intel’s Direct Stock Purchase Plan
Intel offers a Direct Stock Purchase Plan (DSPP) through its transfer agent, Computershare. This lets you buy shares directly without a traditional brokerage account. The minimum initial investment is $250 as a lump sum, or you can set up automatic monthly bank deductions of at least $50 each for a minimum of five months to meet the initial threshold.
After your initial purchase, additional investments require a minimum of $50 per transaction, up to a maximum of $100,000 per year. The plan also includes a dividend reinvestment program (DRIP), which automatically uses any dividends you receive to purchase additional shares. One trade-off: orders through Computershare don’t execute instantly the way brokerage orders do. Purchases are batched and processed on set dates, so you won’t control the exact price you pay.
Buy Intel Through an ETF
If you want exposure to Intel without concentrating your investment in a single company, semiconductor-focused exchange-traded funds hold Intel alongside dozens of other chipmakers. ETFs spread your risk across multiple stocks while still giving you meaningful Intel exposure.
A few options with notable Intel allocations:
- First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF (FTXL): Intel is the second-largest holding at roughly 10% of the fund. The expense ratio is 0.60%, meaning you’d pay $6 per year for every $1,000 invested.
- Xtrackers Semiconductor Select Equity ETF (CHPS): Intel is the top holding at about 5.4%, with a low expense ratio of 0.15%.
- VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH): One of the most widely traded semiconductor ETFs, with Intel at around 4.5% of the portfolio and an expense ratio of 0.35%.
You buy ETF shares through your brokerage account the same way you’d buy Intel stock directly, with the same $0 commissions at major brokers.
Choose the Right Account Type
Where you hold your Intel shares affects how your gains and dividends are taxed. A standard taxable brokerage account gives you full flexibility to buy and sell anytime, but you’ll owe taxes on dividends each year and on capital gains when you sell at a profit.
If you’re investing for retirement, buying Intel inside a Roth IRA means your gains and dividends grow tax-free, and qualified withdrawals in retirement are also tax-free. A traditional IRA lets you deduct contributions now but taxes withdrawals later. Both IRA types have annual contribution limits, and withdrawing before age 59½ generally triggers penalties.
For most people buying individual stocks for long-term growth, a Roth IRA (if you’re eligible) or a taxable brokerage account are the two most practical choices.
What It Costs to Own Intel Stock
With $0 commissions at major brokers, your only cost to buy and hold Intel shares is the price of the stock itself. There are no ongoing fees for holding individual stocks in a brokerage account, unlike mutual funds or ETFs that charge annual expense ratios.
If you use Intel’s Direct Stock Purchase Plan through Computershare, check the plan prospectus for any processing or transaction fees, which are typically small but do exist. And if you buy Intel through an ETF, the fund’s expense ratio is deducted automatically from the fund’s value, so you won’t see a separate charge on your statement.
When you eventually sell Intel shares at a profit in a taxable account, you’ll owe capital gains tax. Shares held longer than one year qualify for long-term capital gains rates, which are lower than the short-term rates applied to shares held one year or less.