Intel: Why Did the Stock Drop 14% After a Weak Forecast?

Core Viewpoint - Intel Corporation's shares fell over 12% in premarket trading following a significant drop of 14% after the fourth-quarter earnings release, despite beating Wall Street expectations for revenue and earnings per share. The decline was primarily driven by a bleak first-quarter forecast and ongoing manufacturing issues highlighted by CEO Lip-Bu Tan [1][2]. Financial Performance - Intel reported fourth-quarter revenue of $13.7 billion, exceeding analyst expectations of $13.4 billion, with adjusted earnings per share of 15 cents compared to the expected 8 cents. However, the company recorded a net loss of $600 million, or 12 cents per diluted share, a significant decline from a net loss of $100 million, or 3 cents per share, in the same period last year [3][4]. - The Data Center and AI segment generated $4.7 billion in revenue, reflecting a 9% year-over-year increase, driven by rising investments in AI infrastructure [4]. - The Client Computing Group's revenue fell 7% year-over-year to $8.2 billion, attributed to declining demand in the PC market [5]. - The foundry business reported $4.5 billion in revenue, although some of this revenue was related to internal accounting for Intel's own chip production [6]. Guidance and Challenges - Intel's first-quarter guidance projected revenue between $11.7 billion and $12.7 billion, with breakeven adjusted earnings per share, falling short of analyst expectations of 5 cents earnings per share on $12.51 billion in sales [7]. - The company anticipates a loss of $0.21 per share for Q1, highlighting significant challenges in CEO Lip-Bu Tan's turnaround efforts. Tan acknowledged production difficulties and emphasized the need for improved production efficiency [8]. - Investors expressed disappointment over the lack of updates regarding new customers for the chip fabrication division and minimal information on buyers for the next-generation 14A manufacturing process technology [8]. Stock Performance - Intel's stock, which had increased by 147% over the past year due to investments from Nvidia, SoftBank, and the U.S. government, closed at $54.32 on January 22 before dropping to $46.94 in premarket trading on January 23, marking a 13.59% decline [9].