Intel, Tesla, IBM And More: 5 Stocks Investors Couldn't Stop Buzzing About This Week

Retail investors talked up five hot stocks during the week (July 20 to July 24) on X and Reddit’s r/WallStreetBets, driven by retail hype, earnings, AI infrastructure momentum, and corporate news flow. Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC ), Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA ), Alphabet Inc.

(NASDAQ: GOOG ) (NASDAQ: GOOGL ), International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM ), and ServiceNow Inc. (NYSE: NOW ), spanning cloud, semiconductor, automotive, AI, and consulting, reflected strong retail interest. Intel INTC was dominating headlines this week after its second-quarter earnings on July 23.

3 billion, expanded margins, and a raised $20 billion capital spending outlook. Other updates included a Fortinet Inc. (NASDAQ: FTNT ) security processor collaboration, long-term CPU deals in China, and rumors/layoff plans in the data center group. A few retail investors were bullish on INTC, following its earnings.

35, trading around $99 to $104 per share, as of the publication of this article. 39% in the last six months. 63% year-to-date. INTC had a strong price trend in the medium and long terms but a weak trend in the short term, as per Edge Stock Rankings.

Tesla TSLA was heavily in focus this week due to its second quarter 2026 earnings released after market close on July 22. 24 billion, up 26% year-over-year, with record deliveries and strong energy storage/services growth, but reported weaker-than-expected EPS, 33 cents adjusted vs. higher forecasts, margin pressure, and negative free cash flow from heavy AI/Cybercab/Optimus capex. Commentary focused on Robotaxi/FSD progress and future margins.

Most retail investors were bearish on TSLA following its earnings this week. 83, trading around $318 to $323 per share, as of the publication of this article. 81% in the last six months. 91% YTD.

Edge Stock Rankings showed that TSLA had a weak price trend in the long, short, and medium terms, with a moderate quality score. 8B on AI demand. 11. However, shares sold off post-earnings on r aised 2026 capex guidance, ~$195-205 billion for AI infrastructure amid broader concerns over Big Tech spending.

5 Pro weighed on sentiment. Despite several bullish retail investors, many were still skeptical about GOOG’s trajectory. 47, trading around $317 to $320 per share, as of the publication of this article. 07% in the last six months.

45% YTD. GOOG maintains a weak price trend over the short and medium terms but a strong trend in the long term, with a moderate value score, as per Edge Stock Rankings. 2 billion, up 1% YoY, matching lowered expectations after an early July pre-announcement and sharp stock drop. Software grew 5%, but infrastructure fell 7% as clients shifted to AI spending; the company cut its full-year constant currency revenue growth outlook to 4-5%.

Shares rose modestly post-earnings as results aligned with the warning. CEO Arvind Krishna c ited delayed big deals amid the AI transition. Some retail investors called out IBM’s CEO future-looking commentary on the quantum computing outlook. 46, trading around $203 to $206 per share, as of the publication of this article.

57% YTD. According to Edge Stock Rankings, IBM was maintaining a weak price trend over the short, medium, and long terms, with a good quality score. ServiceNow NOW reported second-quarter 2026 earnings after the close on July 22, amid heightened scrutiny on AI monetization and IT spending shifts. The stock faced pre-earnings pressure from sector concerns, but exact results focused on subscription growth, cRPO, and Now Assist AI traction under the new licensing model.

Broader context included analyst views on valuation reset and long-term $1 trillion market cap ambitions from CEO Bill McDermott. Some retail investors were questioning the drop in NOW despite its strong earnings, questioning what would have happened if it missed any estimate. 20, trading around $90 to $94 per share, as of the publication of this article. 89% YTD.

According to Edge Stock Rankings, NOW was maintaining a weak price trend over the short, medium, and long terms, with a good growth score. Retail focus comprised AI infrastructure momentum, earnings, and corporate news-driven narratives with broader market action during the week. Read Also: Meta Platforms, SpaceX, Micron Technology and More: 5 Stocks Investors Couldn't Stop Buzzing About This Week Image via Shutterstock