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Intel’s Results to Reveal If Multibillion-Dollar Rescue Plan Is Working

All eyes are on Intel’s third-quarter earnings report this Thursday, as investors look for signs that a wave of multibillion-dollar investments from Nvidia, SoftBank, and the U.S. government is stabilizing the struggling chipmaker under its new CEO Lip-Bu Tan.

The fresh funding has lifted Intel’s shares nearly 100% this year, outperforming even AI titan Nvidia, though expectations are high. Analysts expect a 1% drop in quarterly revenue to $13.14 billion, according to LSEG data, and a per-share loss of $0.22. Shares fell 4.5% on Wednesday, ahead of the results.

Investors are eager for clarity on whether the cash infusions are enough to revive Intel’s finances after years of costly manufacturing missteps under former CEO Pat Gelsinger. “The big question is: what does Intel’s big picture look like now, and what does their cash position look like?” said Joe Tigay, portfolio manager at Rational Equity Armor Fund.

The deals have handed Intel a crucial cash lifeline:
Nvidia invested $5 billion, acquiring about a 4% stake.
SoftBank added another $2 billion.
– The U.S. government took a 10% stake worth $8.9 billion, after tensions over Tan’s China ties sparked political backlash.

While these moves strengthen liquidity, they also dilute Intel’s earnings per share, analysts warn. “Share dilution is the least of Intel shareholders’ worries,” said Ryuta Makino of Gabelli Funds, noting that investors are focused on the company’s long-term strategy.

Despite new funding, Intel continues to lose ground to AMD and Arm-based rivals in CPUs, while remaining a minor player in the AI chip market dominated by Nvidia. However, the company is seeing renewed strength in PCs, with shipments rising 8% globally, and its PC division revenue expected to jump 11% to $8.12 billion.

Intel’s Panther Lake processor, built on its new 18A manufacturing node, is expected to begin shipping by late 2025 — a key test for Tan’s revised strategy, which scaled back Gelsinger’s aggressive factory expansion.

Revenue in Intel’s data center unit is projected to grow 18% to $3.95 billion, fueled by booming demand for server CPUs that pair with AI GPUs. The manufacturing segment, however, is expected to stay flat at $4.37 billion.

“The markets are giving Intel a lot of patience,” said Tigay. “These investments buy them time — but soon, the products will need to speak for themselves.”

ASML said it expects Chinese sales to fall “significantly” next year, after having made up nearly half of company sales in 2024 and a third so far in 2025. CFO Roger Dassen said on a media call the decline was a “normalization” and not due to stockpiling amid the U.S.-China trade war. U.S.-led export restrictions mean ASML cannot sell its most advanced tools in China, a point of contention between the superpowers, with China recently tightening control of exports of rare earth metals. ASML said it would not be affected by those restrictions in the short term. ASML said sales will be, at worst, flat in 2026, from around 32.5 billion euros ($37.82 billion) in 2025. “We believe the bearish view of a worse than expected 2026 will be put to rest and the market will focus on the extent the company can grow in 2027”, JPMorgan analysts said. ASML’s lithography tools, key for making chip circuitry, are sold to TSMC of Taiwan (2330.TW), opens new tab – which makes most AI chips for Nvidia – and to other logic chip firms such as China’s SMIC (0981.HK), opens new tab and Intel (INTC.O), opens new tab. It also serves memory chip makers like Samsung (005930.KS), opens new tab, SK Hynix (000660.KS), opens new tab and Micron (MU.O), opens new tab. The company reported third-quarter net income of 2.12 billion euros, in line with the 2.11 billion euros analysts expected, according to LSEG IBES data.

ASML, the world’s leading manufacturer of chip-making machines, surpassed market expectations for new orders as global demand for AI technologies continues to surge. CEO Christophe Fouquet highlighted that the company is experiencing “continued positive momentum around investments in AI,” which is fueling growth in both advanced logic and memory chip sectors.

The Dutch tech giant reported net bookings of €5.40 billion for the third quarter, slightly above analysts’ forecasts, and confirmed a net income of €2.12 billion — matching market expectations. ASML’s shares have jumped 37% since September and rose an additional 3.2% in early trading to €873.80.

However, ASML warned that sales to China are expected to fall sharply next year after years of rapid growth. CFO Roger Dassen described the dip as a “normalization” rather than a response to U.S.-China trade tensions. U.S. export controls continue to prevent ASML from selling its most advanced lithography systems in China, though the company said recent Chinese restrictions on rare earth exports won’t affect it in the near term.

ASML now forecasts flat sales in 2026, around €32.5 billion, before growth resumes in 2027. Analysts at JPMorgan believe market concerns over a weaker 2026 will ease, shifting focus toward the company’s long-term expansion prospects. ASML’s customers include major chipmakers such as TSMC, Intel, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, which all play critical roles in AI hardware development.

Intel unveils Panther Lake, first chip built on next-gen 18A process

Intel has revealed new details of Panther Lake, its upcoming laptop processor and the first to be manufactured using the company’s next-generation 18A technology. The chip, aimed at AI-enabled premium PCs, marks a critical milestone in Intel’s bid to reclaim leadership in semiconductor manufacturing from AMD and TSMC.

According to Intel, Panther Lake’s integrated graphics and CPU deliver 50% faster performance than the current Lunar Lake line, which was largely produced by Taiwan’s TSMC. The new 18A process introduces a redesigned transistor structure and a more efficient power delivery system, allowing higher performance at lower energy costs.

The chip uses a system-on-chip architecture, combining CPU and GPU components into a single circuit to boost efficiency. Production ramps up this year, with first shipments expected by late 2025 and broad availability from January 2026.

Industry experts see Panther Lake as a major credibility test for Intel’s comeback strategy. “It’s a confirmation of Intel’s continued advancements in chip manufacturing,” said Bob O’Donnell, chief analyst at Technalysis Research.

New CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who took over amid leadership turmoil, has scaled back expansion plans while focusing on core innovation. Intel’s Arizona Fab 52 facility is now fully operational and will also produce the company’s Clearwater Forest server chips, slated for release in 2026.

As Intel seeks to reassert itself in both the PC and AI data center markets, Panther Lake’s success will be a key signal to investors that its long-promised manufacturing turnaround is finally taking shape.