Main financial assets discussed: Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) stock
Top 3 key points:
1. Intel had a flawless quarter with beats on revenue, gross margin, EPS, and guidance.
2. The financial recovery for Intel is slow, with revenue performance still at a multi-year low.
3. The data center roadmap for Intel is not capitalizing as quickly on the improved process technology outlook.
Recommended actions: **Hold**. The article suggests that while Intel had a strong quarter and the stock has rallied, the financial recovery is still slow and there may not be much further upside in the near-term. However, in the mid- to long-term, there are more tailwinds than headwinds, making Intel a favorable investment opportunity.
Main Topic: The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the growth of semiconductor companies in 2023, particularly AMD and Intel.
Key Points:
1. AI has boosted the fortunes of semiconductor companies by increasing the demand for chips used in data centers for training AI models and running inferencing applications.
2. The AI chip market is expected to grow at a rapid pace, generating significant revenue for chipmakers.
3. Both AMD and Intel are trying to capitalize on the AI market, but Intel currently has an advantage with its AI-focused chips already being purchased by customers and a more favorable valuation compared to AMD.
Arm Holdings is aiming to become the next big chip stock and is preparing for its public listing, while focusing on establishing itself as a leader in the artificial intelligence sector.
Intel and International Business Machines (IBM) are two AI stocks that haven't won over investors yet, but they have the potential for significant growth due to their focus on AI technologies and the opportunities presented by the surge in demand for AI accelerators.
Intel's upcoming 14th-gen Meteor Lake processors will be driven by AI, allowing for improved power management and responsiveness, with potential energy savings of up to 15%. The processors are expected to launch in October 2023.
Intel's stock rose nearly 2% after CEO Pat Gelsinger expressed optimism about the company's current quarter and announced the launch of a new data center chip.
Shares of Intel rose nearly 3% after CEO Pat Gelsinger announced that the chip maker had exceeded its revised Q3 revenue guidance, with a resumption in demand for personal computer processors driving the boost. Gelsinger also expressed optimism about Intel's entry into the foundry business, highlighting the potential for substantial growth and the prepayment received from a major customer for its manufacturing capacity. The company's emphasis on advanced packaging capabilities is expected to significantly benefit the foundry business, while analysts currently hold a consensus rating of "Hold" on Intel stock.
Investment firm Citi believes that Intel's prepayment for its foundry business is a positive development, but they still recommend that Intel exit the foundry business due to limited chances of success; meanwhile, Intel's CEO Pat Gelsinger announced a prepayment from an unidentified customer for their upcoming technology node.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger believes that AI will extend beyond data centers and wants to put AI into everything, including PC CPUs, to bring AI processing closer to end users and enable real-time applications without relying on the cloud. Intel is positioning itself to tap into the growing demand for AI hardware and software across various sectors.
Intel has entered into a partnership with Tower Semiconductor after their deal to buy the Israeli chipmaker fell apart, as Intel seeks to diversify its business by offering its factories for contract manufacturing.
Intel Corp. is expected to see stabilization and material gains in its data-center business due to increased artificial-intelligence spending.
Intel stock is recommended for purchase by analyst firm Raymond James due to its potential to benefit from the growing popularity of artificial intelligence.
AMD's director for the commercial client business, Justin Galton, believes that AI adoption on desktops is not yet widespread and may take some time to become apparent, with AMD's dedicated AI accelerator currently only available in one CPU model and more AI-equipped processors set to be released in 2024. Galton also mentioned that small to medium businesses may not be enthusiastic about AI, and that Intel may have more AI-ready desktop processors than AMD. Additionally, a gaming market report predicts a drop in demand for gaming PCs in 2023, while gaming monitor shipments are expected to increase. With regards to AMD's products, Galton said that buyers are currently opting for modestly priced PCs with Ryzen 5000 and 6000 models due to Intel's excess inventory. Additionally, AMD aims to expand its market share in commercial PCs to 20% in 2024.
Intel's stock is rising as an analyst suggests investors should pay attention to the company's efforts in artificial intelligence.
Intel plans to make every PC capable of running AI applications in the near future, as the company targets the growing AI market.
Intel showcased new chips at its innovation event, including Xeon processors and Core Ultra processors, but investors were unimpressed as the stock slipped nearly 2% in trading.
Intel will release a new chip in December that can run an artificial intelligence chatbot on a laptop without relying on cloud data centers, offering users the ability to test and use AI technologies without sending sensitive data off their device.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger emphasized the concept of running large language models and machine learning workloads locally and securely on users' own PCs during his keynote speech at Intel's Innovation conference, highlighting the potential of the "AI PC generation" and the importance of killer apps for its success. Intel also showcased AI-enhanced apps running on its processors and announced the integration of neural-processing engine (NPU) functionality in its upcoming microprocessors. Additionally, Intel revealed Project Strata, which aims to facilitate the deployment of AI workloads at the edge, including support for Arm processors. Despite the focus on inference, Intel still plans to compete with Nvidia in AI training, with the unveiling of a new AI supercomputer in Europe that leverages Xeon processors and Gaudi2 AI accelerators.
Intel's $20 billion investment in New Albany, Ohio, to establish a semiconductor ecosystem with suppliers has yet to see major announcements or details on the plans of the four identified companies, but progress is being made in construction and meetings with international suppliers, according to local Union workers and government officials.
Intel showcased its commitment to AI innovation at its Innovation event, highlighting the Gaudi platform and its integration with other technologies, while also emphasizing the importance of software in AI development and announcing expanded support for various application targets.
Intel Corporation provided a tour of its construction site in New Albany, Ohio, showcasing a $20 billion computer chip manufacturing facility set to open in 2025, along with announcing education initiatives and partnerships with community colleges and Khan Academy.
The rise of artificial intelligence is creating attractive investment opportunities in chip stocks, according to Truist Securities.
Intel unveiled its upcoming laptop chip, Meteor Lake, which includes a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) and will enable AI workloads to run natively on a laptop, providing personal and secure AI capabilities and potentially impacting generative AI adoption and data security.
Shares of Intel rose amid a market sell-off due to positive commentary from a Wall Street analyst and a semiconductor-focused Asian news publication, suggesting that Intel's turnaround plans are on track and its new server chip, Sapphire Rapids, is ramping up in volume. Investors are cautiously optimistic about Intel's potential upside but should monitor new product execution announcements and earnings calls.
Intel announces plans for an IPO of its programmable chip unit, resulting in a rise in Intel stock.
Nvidia's investment prospects are more promising than Intel's, as Intel plans to spin out its programmable chip unit and some view it as sacrificing valuable assets for less promising ones, according to CNBC's Jim Cramer.
OpenAI is considering developing its own artificial intelligence chips or acquiring a chip company to address the shortage of expensive AI chips it relies on.
OpenAI, a well-funded AI startup, is exploring the possibility of developing its own AI chips in response to the shortage of chips for training AI models and the strain on GPU supply caused by the generative AI boom. The company is considering various strategies, including acquiring an AI chip manufacturer or designing chips internally, with the aim of addressing its chip ambitions.
Dedicated AI processors are being built into consumer devices, but there is a lack of consumer apps or features that actually leverage these processors, leading to questions about the need for this hardware in PCs at the moment.
Intel has partnered with over 100 software developers to introduce AI capabilities in its 14th-gen "Meteor Lake" Core Ultra chips for laptops, aiming to convince consumers that AI should be run locally on their PCs rather than in the cloud.
Intel has announced an AI PC Acceleration Program to provide resources to software and hardware vendors in order to enable AI features on its upcoming Intel Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" processors.
Intel faces three major challenges to its cash-cow PC business as Nvidia, AMD, and Qualcomm develop PC processors based on Arm architecture, potentially jeopardizing Intel's turnaround plan and financial capabilities.
Intel Corp. shares surged nearly 8% after the company delivered a positive forecast, highlighted new customers for its foundry business, and emphasized the growing importance of artificial intelligence in the tech industry.
Intel's upbeat forecast and success in signing new chip contract manufacturing customers indicate a rebound in the personal computer market, leading to a more than 9% rise in its stock and a positive outlook for the company.
Intel's upbeat forecast and improvements in its PC-focused business have led to a 9% increase in stock and a positive outlook for the chip market, with the company securing new clients for its chip contract manufacturing business and a promising future in the foundry business, while still facing challenges in its AI and data center chip divisions.
Intel Corp. is predicting a return to sales growth in the fourth quarter, driven by a rebound in the personal computer market and an improved product lineup, leading to a surge in the company's stock and the expectation of regaining its technological leadership in the industry.