Intel’s stock dropped around 30% overnight, shaving some $39 billion from the company’s market capitalization since rumors of a pending layoff first emerged. The devastating results come after the chip giant reported a loss for the second quarter, complained about yield issues with the Meteor Lake CPU, provided a modest business outlook for the next few quarters, and announced plans to lay off 15,000 people worldwide.
When the NYSE closed on July 31, Intel’s market capitalization was $130.86 billion. Then, a report about Intel’s massive layoffs was published, and the company’s market capitalization dropped sharply to $123.96 billion on August 1. Following Intel’s financial report yesterday, the company’s capitalization dropped to $91.86 billion. Essentially, Intel has lost half of its capitalization since January. As of now, Intel’s market value is a fraction of Nvidia’s worth and less than half of AMD’s.
As Intel’s actions look rather desperate, analysts believe that Intel’s challenges are existential. “Intel’s issues are now approaching the existential,” Stacy Rasgon, an analyst with Bernstein, told Reuters.
Again, sanctions were on chips and import lithography. They have lots of trouble importing Nvidia chips, or at least more cost. Of course the country where a lot of chips are made will continue making chips. But while Taiwan was putting 3nm chips in phones a year ago, China is producing 5nm headlines, chips on mass scale yet to be seen.
What did people expect, China to go back to the stone age?
Intel doesn’t even make 5nm chips. SMIC is making 5nm chips less than 2 years after the sanctions that were meant to stop it at 14nm.
You can spin this all you want.
Intel? The company that’s been failing for 5 years and lost 30% of it value in one day? That Intel?
Ni hao, comrade.
