Intel Rises 24% in Three Months: Should You Buy the Stock?

Core Insights - Intel Corporation (INTC) has outperformed the industry with a 24% gain over the past three months, while the industry declined by 6% [1] - The company has also surpassed competitors like Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Qualcomm, which saw declines of 4.5% and 15.2% respectively during the same period [2] Performance and Demand - Intel is experiencing strong demand in the Data Center & AI segment, with revenues growing 15% sequentially and exceeding expectations [3] - The AI PC market is also a significant growth driver, with AI PC units increasing by 16% year over year [4] Challenges and Constraints - Despite strong demand, Intel is facing supply constraints and enters 2026 with depleted buffer inventory, limiting its ability to meet customer demand [5] - The foundry business reported an operating loss of $2.5 billion in the fourth quarter, primarily due to the early ramp of Intel 18A, which is still below internal yield targets [6] Financial Outlook - Intel's Client Computing Group (CCG) revenues decreased from $8.77 billion to $8.19 billion, driven by constrained supply despite solid data center demand [10] - Earnings estimates for 2025 and 2026 have been revised down by 15.25% and 14.04% respectively, indicating bearish sentiment [13] Competitive Landscape - Intel faces stiff competition in the server, storage, and networking markets, particularly from NVIDIA in AI and from AMD in the commercial PC market [11] - Tariff-related uncertainties and geopolitical tensions with China pose additional risks to revenue prospects [12] Valuation Metrics - From a valuation perspective, Intel appears cheaper than the industry, trading at a price/sales ratio of 4.29 compared to the industry average of 17.78 [15]