Yazılar

Intel Seeks Investment from Apple Amid Turnaround Push, Report Says

/in /tarafından

Intel has approached Apple about a potential investment, according to a Bloomberg News report on Wednesday citing people familiar with the matter. The discussions, which also cover ways to work more closely together, are still in the early stages and may not result in a deal. Intel shares closed up 6% following the news.

Intel declined to comment, while Apple has not responded to requests.

The report follows Nvidia’s $5 billion investment for roughly a 4% stake in Intel, announced earlier this week. That deal included plans for the companies to co-develop PC and data center chips, though Nvidia will not use Intel’s foundry business to manufacture its chips.

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan has been actively pursuing partnerships as part of efforts to revive the struggling chipmaker. Once a dominant force in the semiconductor industry, Intel has fallen behind in the AI boom to rivals like Nvidia and AMD.

Recent backing has boosted investor confidence: Intel secured a $10 billion government stake engineered by the White House, a $2 billion equity investment from SoftBank last month, and Nvidia’s multi-billion-dollar deal. Since mid-August, Intel’s stock has risen more than 40%.

A potential investment from Apple would add another vote of confidence. Apple was once a major Intel customer before shifting to its own custom-designed silicon in 2020. For Apple, a deal could help diversify its reliance on Taiwan’s TSMC, its primary chip manufacturer, particularly given geopolitical tensions with China.

The move would also align with Apple’s broader U.S. strategy, with the company committing $600 billion in domestic initiatives over the next four years. Strengthening ties with Intel could bolster Apple’s relationship with the Trump administration, which has supported efforts to cement U.S. leadership in advanced technology.

The White House said it has not been directly involved in discussions between Intel and Apple, though a spokesperson emphasized: “The taxpayer has an equity stake in Intel succeeding, and the Administration supports iconic American companies like Intel doing what’s best to cement American tech dominance.”

Intel has reportedly reached out to other potential partners as well, as it works to secure outside investment and long-term clients for its manufacturing facilities.

Micron tops forecasts with AI-fueled HBM demand, sees strong Q1 revenue

/in /tarafından

Micron Technology projected first-quarter revenue of $12.5 billion ± $300 million, well above Wall Street’s estimate of $11.94 billion, as booming demand for its high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips drives growth amid the AI race.

AI demand supercharges Micron

  • Q4 HBM revenue hit nearly $2 billion, putting Micron on pace for ~$8B annually, CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said.

  • HBM chips, built by stacking DRAM vertically, reduce power use while enabling massive data processing — making them indispensable for training and running advanced AI models.

  • Micron is a key HBM supplier to Nvidia, whose dominance in AI accelerators makes HBM supply one of the most competitive battlegrounds in semiconductors.

2026 outlook already sold out

  • Micron expects to lock in deals for all 2026 HBM capacity in the coming months.

  • HBM3E pricing agreements are nearly complete; HBM4 pricing talks are ongoing.

  • “The pricing on HBM4 is actually significantly higher than the pricing on HBM3E,” said Chief Business Officer Sumit Sadana, citing tight supply and strong ROI expectations.

  • TSMC will partner with Micron to manufacture the base logic die for its HBM4E chips.

Financial performance

  • Adjusted Q4 EPS: $3.03, topping forecasts.

  • Adjusted gross margin forecast (Q1): 51.5%, far above expectations of 45.9%.

  • Analysts said stronger-than-expected pricing drove the margin boost.

U.S. policy and subsidies

  • Micron has received $6.2B under the CHIPS and Science Act, passed under former President Joe Biden.

  • Current Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is exploring converting subsidies into equity stakes in chipmakers, but Sadana said Micron does not expect its grant terms to change.

  • Micron recently received a disbursement after completing a milestone at its Idaho fab, Mehrotra confirmed.

Big picture

Micron is riding the wave of AI-driven chip demand, securing long-term contracts at higher prices while boosting profitability. With HBM4 set to command premium pricing, Micron is positioning itself as a critical player alongside Nvidia, Samsung, and SK Hynix in the global AI supply chain.

Nvidia to invest up to $100B in OpenAI, fueling AI dominance — and antitrust worries

/in /tarafından

Nvidia will invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI and supply it with advanced data center chips, the companies confirmed Monday, marking one of the largest-ever deals in artificial intelligence. The pact ties together the world’s leading AI chipmaker and the sector’s most high-profile model developer, deepening concerns about market concentration.

Deal structure

  • Nvidia will acquire non-voting shares in OpenAI.

  • OpenAI will use the cash to purchase Nvidia chips, creating what analysts called a “circular” arrangement.

  • The two companies signed a letter of intent to deploy at least 10 gigawatts of Nvidia systems — equivalent to powering 8 million U.S. homes.

  • Nvidia will begin deliveries in late 2026 via its new Vera Rubin platform, starting with 1 GW of compute.

  • Initial investment: $10B, with further tranches scaling toward $100B.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said: “Compute infrastructure will be the basis for the economy of the future, and we will utilize what we’re building with Nvidia to both create new AI breakthroughs and empower people and businesses with them at scale.”

Market reaction

  • Nvidia shares hit a record intraday high (+4.4%).

  • Oracle gained 6% amid its own collaboration with OpenAI, Microsoft, and SoftBank on the $500B Stargate data center project.

  • Broadcom fell 0.8% on concerns the deal could complicate its custom-chip work with OpenAI.

Industry context

The pact follows:

  • Microsoft’s multibillion-dollar investments in OpenAI since 2019.

  • Nvidia’s $5B investment in Intel and its $6.6B backing of OpenAI in 2024.

  • Ongoing OpenAI efforts to design its own AI chips with Broadcom and TSMC, which reportedly remain unchanged.

Antitrust spotlight

The DOJ and FTC reached an agreement in 2024 enabling potential probes into the roles of Microsoft, Nvidia, and OpenAI in AI. Analysts warn this deal could intensify scrutiny:

  • Andre Barlow, antitrust lawyer: “It could potentially lock in Nvidia’s chip monopoly with OpenAI’s software lead, making it more difficult for rivals like AMD or competing AI labs to scale.”

  • Stacy Rasgon (Bernstein): The structure raises concerns about Nvidia’s investment dollars coming back as chip purchases.

The Trump administration has so far taken a lighter regulatory approach than Biden’s, emphasizing growth over enforcement — though officials say protecting competition in AI infrastructure remains a long-term priority.