Overview
- Intel’s stock climbed roughly 216% in Q2, adding about $480 billion in market value as investors moved into companies that supply AI hardware.
- Shares retreated about 1.6–2% in premarket trading on Wednesday as some investors took profits after the rapid run toward a 52‑week high.
- Company results and deals underpin the bullish case: Q1 non‑GAAP EPS beat expectations, Data Center & AI revenue rose about 22%, Intel Foundry revenue rose about 16%, and the company secured major partnerships and investments from NVIDIA and Google plus a SoftBank stake.
- Skeptics point to a very high forward P/E near 147x, a Q1 GAAP net loss of roughly $3.7 billion driven by a large restructuring charge, ongoing foundry operating losses, and management warnings that some node plans could be paused if demand softens.
- Wall Street expects Q2 earnings on July 23 of about $0.19 EPS and $14.4 billion revenue, and analysts’ consensus rating remains Hold with an average target near $93.93, making next month’s report the key test of whether the rally is sustainable.