Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) is expected to report Q4 earnings on Jan. 17. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Intel's revenues will wither -2.5% and EPS will drop -27.9%.

The average estimate for revenue is $13.53 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.49.

Revenue details
Last quarter, Intel logged revenue of $13.46 billion. GAAP reported sales were 5.5% lower than the prior-year quarter's $14.23 billion.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
Last quarter, non-GAAP EPS came in at $0.60. GAAP EPS of $0.58 for Q3 were 11% lower than the prior-year quarter's $0.65 per share.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Recent performance
For the preceding quarter, gross margin was 63.3%, 10 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 28.5%, 510 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 22.1%, 230 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead

The full year's average estimate for revenue is $53.40 billion. The average EPS estimate is $2.21.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a four-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 9,230 members out of 9,844 rating the stock outperform, and 614 members rating it underperform. Among 2,093 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 1,994 give Intel a green thumbs-up, and 99 give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Intel is hold, with an average price target of $26.06.

Is Intel the best semiconductor stock for you? You may be missing something obvious. Check out the semiconductor company that Motley Fool analysts expect to lead "The Next Trillion-dollar Revolution." Click here for instant access to this free report.