INTC - Intel Corporation
| Previous close | 58.81 |
| Open | 59.19 |
| Bid | 59.22 x 800 |
| Ask | 59.33 x 1100 |
| Day's range | 58.97 - 59.81 |
| 52-week range | 43.63 - 69.29 |
| Volume | 15,578,580 |
| Avg. volume | 24,943,570 |
| Market cap | 250.356B |
| Beta (5Y monthly) | 0.80 |
| PE ratio (TTM) | 11.46 |
| EPS (TTM) | 5.16 |
| Earnings date | 23 Jul 2020 |
| Forward dividend & yield | 1.32 (2.23%) |
| Ex-dividend date | 06 May 2020 |
| 1y target est | 63.52 |
- Motley Fool
3 Ridiculously Cheap Dividend Stocks to Buy Today
Buying a dividend stock that's cheap can be a great way to maximize the returns you'll make from owning it. Not only will you earn dividend income, but you can also benefit if the stock rises in value. Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ: WBA) hasn't gotten a whole lot of love this year as its share price is down 29% year to date, which is much worse than the S&P 500 (down 3%) has done thus far.
- Reuters
Take Five: Charging into the second half
The months leading up to the U.S. presidential election in November will be choppy, especially if Democrat Joe Biden extends his poll lead. The EU needs to agree on a $750 billion recovery fund proposal. A wave of foreign money has hit mainland China's markets as the second half of 2020 kicks in.
- Bloomberg
Balkanization Is Bad for Facebook’s Business
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- The internet, once a freewheeling global network, is becoming balkanized into national spheres of influence. This could be bad for both cross-cultural communication and U.S. tech companies.China has long protected its local internet, censoring speech behind what has become known as the Great Firewall. The government blocks U.S.-based services such as Google, Facebook and Twitter, and closely monitors the local Chinese versions. Other authoritarian and quasi-authoritarian countries -- Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Vietnam, Ethiopia – do the same. And Russia recently passed a so-called sovereign internet law that makes it much easier for the government to monitor and control online content.Now democracies may be joining in. India just banned 59 of China’s largest internet apps, including social video sharing service TikTok, reflecting rising tensions between the two giant Asian countries. It has also shut off internet to regions experiencing government crackdowns or unrest, such as Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. In Europe, major rules such as the General Data Protection Regulation are forcing internet companies to operate differently in different regions. Though this doesn’t officially ban or censor U.S.-based sites like Facebook, it does present an obstacle that could end up inhibiting the flow of information.This was probably inevitable. Different cultures perceive concepts such as privacy differently. And as U.S. global hegemony gives way to a more multipolar world, countries are going to assert their sovereignty by refusing to play by U.S. rules. Further unrest, like the protests that rocked the world in 2019 or tensions between countries such as China and India, are likely to accelerate the trend towards digital division.This could be tough on U.S. tech companies. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube don’t owe their profitability to superior technology, other than some techniques for managing large amounts of user data. They make money because they have a lot of eyeballs to which they can deliver advertisements.And they have those eyeballs because of network effects. It’s easy to make a Twitter clone -- Gab tried it a while ago, and a new entrant called Parler is trying it now. But it’s incredibly hard to get people to switch, because the first people who make the jump will find themselves mostly alone, with everyone they know and want to read still back on Twitter. Similarly, people use Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and other social media services because everyone else does.Captive advertising targets translate into enormous profits. Facebook, Inc., which dominates the social media landscape, has a profit margin that typically ranges between 20% and 40%. Its market cap as of early July was about $647 billion, or 2.6% of the entire S&P 500.Regional balkanization, though, slices through network effects. If services like Facebook are banned in some countries and heavily restricted in others, users will have less company. Most people’s contacts and friends will tend to be in the same country, but not all. And outright bans will cut some services off entirely from huge markets like China, while restrictions like GDPR will force them to invest in expensive localization.This is an unfortunate side effect of nationalism and unrest. But it’s also reason to worry about a technology industry whose profitability stems mostly from network effects, not know-how. Actual innovations, like Intel Corporation’s semiconductor manufacturing processes, Amazon.com, Inc.’s cloud computing systems, or Google LLC’s machine learning algorithms give these companies some clout: if a country decides it doesn’t want to buy Intel’s chips, it will suffer a real economic penalty. But if a country decides to create its own Facebook clone, it will lose little, while Facebook’s American owners and workers will lose a lot.A free and open global internet may one day reemerge. In the meantime, U.S. companies and policy makers should think about how to invest in products whose value isn’t so subject to the whims of foreign authorities.This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Noah Smith is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He was an assistant professor of finance at Stony Brook University, and he blogs at Noahpinion.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinionSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
- Bloomberg
Zoom’s Newest Challenger: Budding Internet Tycoon Mukesh Ambani
(Bloomberg) -- Zoom, one of the few success stories of the Covid-19 pandemic, now faces a new competitor in an app backed by Asia’s wealthiest person Mukesh Ambani.Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd., which has scored billions of dollars of investments from Facebook Inc. to Intel Corp. for its digital businesses, has launched the JioMeet video conferencing app after beta testing. The app has already garnered more than 100,000 downloads on the Google Play Store after becoming available Thursday evening.Like Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and other services, JioMeet offers unlimited high-definition calls -- but unlike Zoom, it doesn’t impose a 40-minute time limit. Calls can go on as long as 24 hours, and all meetings are encrypted and password-protected, the company said on the JioMeet website.The launch coincided with a nationwide ban on dozens of popular apps from Chinese technology giants including ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s UC Web, on grounds they threatened security and data privacy. JioMeet went viral Friday on social media alongside the hashtag MadeinIndia.The app is one facet of Ambani’s rapidly expanding digital empire, which includes India’s largest telecom operator with nearly 400 million users. On Friday, Reliance announced Intel Capital has invested $253 million into Jio Platforms Ltd., a unit of Ambani’s oil-to-retail conglomerate. The U.S. chipmaker’s arm is the 11th investor in about as many weeks to announce its backing for the digital services platform, which has now raised about 1.2 trillion rupees ($15.7 billion).“JioMeet will be a very credible disruptor in the space,” said Utkarsh Sinha, managing director of boutique consultancy Bexley Advisors. “Just the fact that it has no time limits on calls makes it a serious challenger to Zoom, despite its entrenchment.”Jio Platforms is amassing a wide range of services from music streaming to online retail and payments, fast turning into an ecommerce juggernaut that can take on Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Amazon.com Inc on its own home turf. Like elsewhere, video conferencing apps have become lifelines for millions of Indians working in cramped homes during Covid-19 lockdowns.JioMeet is also debuting at a time Zoom users have accused the service of security flaws. It’s been accused of siding with China after deactivating accounts of pro-democracy activists in the U.S and Hong Kong, which it said was intended to comply with Chinese law.(Adds total investment in Jio in fifth paragraph.)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
- Simply Wall St.
Estimating The Intrinsic Value Of Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)
How far off is Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll...
- Bloomberg
Ambani’s Jio Adds Intel Backing With $253 Million Stake Sale
(Bloomberg) -- The technology venture of billionaire Mukesh Ambani secured 18.95 billion rupees ($253 million) from Intel Capital, adding to a slew of investments since April that have reached more than $15 billion.The investment arm of computer chip giant Intel Corp. agreed to buy a 0.39% stake in Jio Platforms Ltd., giving the business an equity value of $65 billion, Ambani’s conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd. said in a statement Friday.Intel Capital joins global names including Facebook Inc., KKR & Co. and Silver Lake Partners in backing Ambani’s bid to transform Reliance into a digital services giant and reduce its dependence on revenue from oil refining and petrochemicals.Read more: Reliance Says It’s Net-Debt Free After $15 Billion Jio Deals“Through this investment, we are excited to help fuel digital transformation in India, where Intel maintains an important presence,” Wendell Brooks, Intel Capital president, said in the statement.Morgan Stanley acted as financial adviser to Reliance Industries.Ambani’s digital unit has sold about 25% in stakes and has said it reached its goal of reducing net debt to zero earlier than its March 2021 target. Jio is expected to use its roughly 400 million wireless phone subscribers as the cornerstone of an e-commerce and digital services business.Read more: Saudi Stake Purchase Takes New Investments in Jio to $15 BillionThe slew of stake sales and progress in cutting debt have helped Reliance Industries shares double since late March. On Friday, the stock gained as much as 1.9% to a record 1,793 rupees.(Updates share price in final paragraph. A previous version of this story corrected the amount of PIF’s investment in the table.)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
- Stockopedia
What's the future for the Intel (NSQ:INTC) share price?
Given the present disruption and volatility in the stock market, it is more important than ever to identify high quality stocks for your portfolio. That means...
- Reuters
Sensex, Nifty close near 4-month highs as Reliance boosts
Indian shares ended at near four-month highs on Friday, boosted by Reliance Industries Ltd after Intel Corp agreed to invest in the Asian conglomerate's digital unit, although a record spike in domestic COVID-19 cases curbed gains. The benchmark indexes finished higher for a third consecutive session, with the NSE Nifty 50 index rising 0.53% to 10,607.35 and the S&P BSE Sensex advancing 0.5% to 36,021.42. Both indexes notched their third straight weekly gain.
- Reuters
Intel to invest $255 million in Reliance's digital unit Jio Platforms
Intel Corp's <INTC.O> investment arm will pay some $255 million for a small stake in Reliance Industries Ltd's <RELI.NS> digital unit Jio Platforms, the latest in a slew of share sales that have helped the Indian conglomerate pay down debt. Reliance has now sold just over a quarter of Jio Platforms, the unit that houses its telecoms venture Jio Infocomm and its music and movie apps, raising $15.8 billion from investors including Facebook Inc <FB.O> and KKR & Co <KKR.N>. The deals highlight Jio Platforms' potential to become the dominant player in India's digital economy.
- Motley Fool
Could AMD Be a Millionaire Maker Stock?
It's been over a decade since AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) spun off its semiconductor manufacturing segment, the company now known as GlobalFoundries. During the depths of the Great Recession, the deal was deemed necessary to help AMD survive, although AMD maintained the long-term vision was to refocus on technology, chip design, and better investment returns.
- Bloomberg
Imagination CEO Sees Chance for ‘More Engagement’ With Apple
(Bloomberg) -- Imagination Technologies Group sees a chance for more engagement with its most high-profile customer, Apple Inc., this year as the British chip designer works to move on from a controversy over its ties to China.The company’s new licensing agreement with Apple “certainly opens the door for more engagement with that company,” interim Chief Executive Officer Ray Bingham said in an interview. They announced in January they’d signed a multi-year license deal giving the Silicon Valley company access to a wide-range of Imagination’s designs.Imagination isn’t allowed to discuss its relationship with Apple beyond saying the Cupertino, California-based company is a licensee, but news that the computer maker is planning to start making more of its own chips doesn’t affect “our relationship with Apple in any negative way,” Bingham said.Apple has split from chipmaker Intel Corp., deciding to make more of its chips in-house for the next generation of Mac computers. That could open the door for companies that license designs for semiconductors to win new business with Apple.Imagination’s January agreement marked a turnaround from April 2017, when it warned that the U.S. giant would no longer use its technology within 15 months to two years. At the time, Apple accounted for more than half of Imagination’s sales, and the announcement lead to a plunge in the U.K. company’s stock.China RowImagination was acquired by private equity firm Canyon Bridge Capital Partners for more than 500 million pounds ($616 million) later that year. State-backed China Reform is the firm’s primary investor, accounting for 99% of its fund.Bingham, a partner at Canyon Bridge, is trying to push the company forward after a brief plan to put representatives from China Reform on the board resulted in a backlash and the resignation of Ron Black as CEO of Imagination.After the proposal was withdrawn, the U.K. Parliament’s cross-party Foreign Affairs Committee asked Bingham to appear in May to reassure lawmakers that the move wasn’t part of a plan to shift sensitive British technology to China. He said the appointments were meant to help the company increase its customer base in the country.Imagination is in talks for a new CEO, who will be based in the U.K., and has narrowed the field to three or four candidates, Bingham said. The firm is also in the process of appointing new independent board members, which Bingham promised during his parliamentary appearance, he said.Chief Technology Officer John Rayfield, who had also resigned during the board nominee row, is still serving out a six-month notice period. But Bingham said he expects Rayfield’s resignation to be withdrawn.Read more: U.K. Chipmaker Said Chinese Investor Pushed for Board NomineesImagination still plans to go ahead with expansion plans in China, announcing a deal with Chinese semiconductor company Rockchip this month, and is using its connections at China Reform to open doors with other potential customers, Bingham said.Licenses for the company’s new technology, announced at the end of last year, are driving growth in 2020. The GPUs are attracting customers including carmakers, which use them in entertainment and dashboard systems, as well as those involved in the internet of things. The firm also has a number of licensees for its technology used in laptops and desktop computers.“Certainly every technology company in the world is trying to penetrate China,” Bingham said. “It’s a vast and growing market.” Imagination isn’t working on any projects that might touch on national security, he said.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
- Bloomberg
Thousands Stranded, Families Separated After Trump H-1B Decree
(Bloomberg) -- Natasha Bhat learned in late February that her father-in-law had suddenly died. Bhat, 35, recently recalled how she grabbed a backpack and hustled her U.S.-born 4-year-old son to the San Francisco airport to catch a midnight flight to India, her home country. She didn’t anticipate being stuck there indefinitely. Bhat works at a tech company in Silicon Valley on an H-1B visa, and her documents were due for renewal. So she threw them in the bag, knowing she’d have to get the chore taken care of before flying back to the U.S. in a few weeks. But she said her mid-March appointment at the U.S. consulate in Kolkata was canceled when it shut down due to Covid-19 concerns. Her return home was delayed further when President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week barring many people on several types of visas, including H-1Bs, from entering the country until 2021.Trump’s executive order is the latest step in his years-long tightening of U.S. immigration policy. The president has argued since taking office the visa programs allow employers to undercut native-born workers on wages, over the objections of companies that say they need highly skilled workers to fill crucial job openings. The latest restrictions, said Greg Siskind, an immigration lawyer in Memphis, “use the pandemic as an excuse to achieve anti-immigration goals the administration has wanted to do for years.”H-1B holders, about three-quarters of whom work in the tech sector, have felt a creeping sense of unease since Trump took office. Still, thousands of them continued to fly back and forth between the U.S. and their home countries, for weddings or funerals—or for work assignments or to get mundane paperwork taken care of. (Some visas require people to leave the country briefly after approval to get their passports stamped.) Many of those who left the U.S. this spring, as Bhat did, found the world as they knew it changed mid-trip.About 375,000 temporary visaholders and green card applicants will now be banned from entering the U.S. until next year, according to Julia Gelatt, a senior policy analyst with the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research group. A significant number of those are now stuck in India, which has long had a close connection to Silicon Valley. The technology industry has consistently objected to the administration’s immigration restrictions, and Amazon.com Inc., Alphabet Inc. and Twitter Inc. immediately condemned the latest executive order, along with trade groups representing hundreds of other technology firms. Indian tech companies have also urged the administration to reconsider its latest move. A major trade group from the country called it " misguided and harmful to the U.S. economy." Some Indian IT companies are considering alternatives to placing people on-site with U.S. clients, such as creating clusters of workers in countries like Mexico or Canada.The objections haven’t spared people like Bhat and her husband, who have worked in Silicon Valley for the last nine years, she as a manager for a software firm and he as an engineer at a bank. Her husband flew back to the U.S. in early March for work and has spent the past four months of lockdown alone. Bhat is now working overnight to support her U.S.-based clients, and trying to convince their son Adhrit to eat Indian food like chapati for breakfast over his complaints that he misses his standard Californian breakfast of avocado toast.The prospect of a wave of people stranded abroad began worrying Siskind several weeks ago when he first caught wind of the planned order. On Twitter, he warned workers on non-immigrant visas not to leave the U.S. He urged those abroad to come back as soon as possible.Once the order took effect, Siskind set up an online form for people to share their stories, and asked his followers on social media to fill it out. Within 24 hours, he had over 500 responses. There was the scientist researching coronavirus-testing products who flew to India to get married, the Atlanta-based IT consultant who may miss the birth of his child, the 2-year-old girl who was born in the U.S. and has developed severe allergic skin reactions to mosquito bites in India, the Intel Corp. employee who is now running critical projects from afar. Siskind fielded calls from husbands separated from wives, parents from children. People told him they were worried about keeping up with mortgage payments on houses, car loans and jobs. Some had U.S.-born children who are American citizens enrolled in U.S. schools. Many have valid visas and assumed all they would need to get back in the country was a routine stamp in their passport.Narendra Singh, an Indian-born software architect who has lived in Dallas for nine years, took his family back to Kolkata, India, in February. Their return was delayed when the consulates closed and they were advised to wait out the worst of the pandemic. Now Singh is working remotely. His wife, a software engineer, lost her job in April. Their daughter, a U.S. citizen, was slated to start preschool in the fall, but they’ve been preparing her for the possibility that won’t happen. Singh, 36, said he knew there was always a chance of his visa not being extended, but assumed he was secure until his current visa was set to expire in 2022. “We took specialized jobs, we followed the rules, we got the visas,” he said. “I just feel betrayed.”Mili Widhani Khatter, 39, who has lived in the U.S. with her husband and two U.S.-born children for the past 12 years, flew back to Delhi, India, without her family to say goodbye to her dying mother. She hasn’t seen her children in nearly four months, and said her 2-year-old son has forgotten how to say “mama” since they’ve been apart. “This is the worst punishment you can give to a mom,” Khatter said. “It’s not humane.”Now families worry what another six months of uncertainty will do to their kids—and to the futures they thought they were charting. “I have a valid visa. I’ve been living in the Bay Area for eight years. I have a life there and a home there, and my husband is there,” Bhat said. “Will I ever be able to go back?”(Updates sixth paragraph with reaction from Indian companies. A previous version of this story corrected the people who were impacted by the order.)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
- Business Wire
Intel and the International Olympic Committee to Provide Support Services to Athletes Worldwide
With the International Olympic Committee, Intel will extend life-coaching, mentoring, and learning and development services to over 50,000 athletes.
- Zacks
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Berkshire Hathaway, Intel, American Tower, NextEra Energy and Booking Holdings
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Berkshire Hathaway, Intel, American Tower, NextEra Energy and Booking Holdings
- Zacks
Intel (INTC) Gains But Lags Market: What You Should Know
Intel (INTC) closed at $58.27 in the latest trading session, marking a +1.34% move from the prior day.
- Zacks
Top Research Reports for Berkshire Hathaway, Intel & American Tower
Top Research Reports for Berkshire Hathaway, Intel & American Tower
- Zacks
Amazon Peps Up Self-Driving Battle With Zoox Buyout Agreement
Amazon (AMZN) likely to pose threat to Alphabet, Apple and others in the self-driving vehicle space with Zoox.
- Business Wire
Intel and National Science Foundation Invest in Wireless-Specific Machine Learning Edge Research
Intel and the National Science Foundation announce award recipients of joint funding for research into the development of future wireless systems.
- Business Wire
Intel Launches First Artificial Intelligence Associate Degree Program
Intel is partnering with Maricopa County Community College District to launch an Intel-designed artificial intelligence associate degree.
- Yahoo Finance Video
Influencers with Andy Serwer: Steve Ballmer
In this episode of Influencers, Andy speaks with LA Clippers Chairman and former Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, to discuss the return of the NBA season, the coronavirus effect on the tech sector, and Steve's fact-finding endeavor at USAFacts.
- Yahoo Finance
Apple’s switch from Intel to its own chips is its smartest move in years
Apple is leaving behind Intel to produce its own processors for its Mac line of computers. And the move should pay off handsomely.
- Zacks
NVIDIA Ups the Game, Joins Mercedes on Self-Drive Project
NVIDIA's (NVDA) collaboration with Mercedes-Benz to develop an in-vehicle computing system is expected to strengthen its competitive position in the self-driving vehicle market.
- FX Empire
Apple Chips to Overcome Intel Silicon “Valley”
At its Worldwide Developers Conference 2020, which kicked off on Monday, Apple announced plans to sell Mac computers using its own processors beginning this year, moving away from Intel’s chips.
- Bloomberg
Japanese Supercomputer Beats U.S., China to Take World Speed Crown
(Bloomberg) -- A supercomputer developed by Fujitsu Ltd. and Japan’s Riken research institute was ranked the world’s fastest in an independent survey, beating out U.S. and Chinese rivals.Built using technology from SoftBank Group Corp.’s Arm Ltd., the Fugaku cluster has more than 150,000 processors and roughly 2.8 times the performance of the second-fastest supercomputer, according to TOP500, a research organization that compiles the rankings twice a year. It marks the first time that a Japanese supercomputer has led the ranking since Fujitsu’s K computer took the crown in 2011, the company said. It also boosts Arm’s claims that it can compete with the likes of Intel Corp. in high-performance computing.The new supercomputer is installed at the Riken Center for Computational Science in Kobe and will begin full operation in 2021. It will contribute to research in areas from drug discovery to weather forecasting and help shape policy decisions.Read more: Apple-Made Computer Chips Coming to Mac, in Split From IntelArm processors power most of the world’s smartphones and Apple Inc. just announced a transition to building its Mac computers around the technology.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
- Bloomberg
Apple-Made Computer Chips Coming to Mac, in Split From Intel
(Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. said it plans to sell Mac computers using processors designed in-house, signaling an end to its 15-year alliance with Intel Corp.The first Macs with the Apple-designed chips will debut by the end of the year, Tim Cook, the chief executive officer, said Monday at the company’s virtual conference for software makers. Apple is also working on models with Intel processors, Cook said.“When we make bold changes, it’s for one simple yet powerful reason: so we can make much better products,” Cook said. “The Mac is transitioning to our own Apple silicon.”The new chips will enable Apple to build computers with improved security and battery life, said Johny Srouji, Apple’s silicon chief. Developers will need to compile versions of their apps compatible with the new products for the software to run smoothly. However, Apple will provide a fall-back to make old apps run on the new system. Microsoft Corp. and Adobe Inc. have already begun updating Office and Photoshop, Apple said.Apple introduced an array of software enhancements to its products at the event Monday. It will make the most drastic changes to the iPhone home screen since the product’s release in 2007, bringing the software more in line with Google’s Android. Users will be able to place widgets that sit between the typical grid of apps, can be set to varying sizes and present information, such as the weather or a calendar, that updates throughout the day. The Apple Watch will get sleep tracking and hand-washing detection tools.The changes to the Mac are the most significant, though. Apple will release a major new version of the Mac operating system, called Big Sur, with support for the new chips. The design looks similar to the iPhone and iPad, with curved app icons, translucency, notification bubbles and the new widgets feature from iOS 14. The Messages and Maps apps will gain many of the features available in their mobile counterparts, and the Safari web browser will get a translation tool, changes to tabbed browsing and a customizable home page. Executives made a point of demonstrating how smoothly these apps run on Apple-designed chips.The partnership between Apple and Intel was formed in 2005, when Steve Jobs outlined a move away from PowerPC processors onstage at the same Apple event series for developers. Intel helped Apple catch up to Windows computers, some of which were more powerful at the time. In tandem, though, Apple was working on more energy-efficient chips for mobile devices based on Arm Ltd. designs and continues to use those to power the iPhone and iPad.In recent years, the speed and power efficiency of Apple’s mobile chips have rapidly increased, while the pace of improvement to Intel’s parts has slowed. This irked Apple executives, who pushed the company’s silicon unit to develop more powerful processors fit for the Mac, people familiar with the matter have said.The split from Intel has been a long time in the making. As far back as 2012, Apple was exploring a switch to its own chips, Bloomberg reported at the time. In 2018, Bloomberg reported that Apple would formally begin the transition away from Intel in 2020.In addition to ensuring legacy software runs well on the new Macs, a challenge for Apple will be to make processors speedy enough to replace Intel chips in its “pro” line of computers. Apple didn’t say Monday which models will get the new chips. Intel shares were about flat in intraday trading, while Apple’s stock was up 2% Monday, surpassing market-wide gains.Intel said in an emailed statement that it will continue to support Apple as a customer. Intel also boasted that its chips are the most advanced and offer the most open platform for software developers.The Mac is no longer the key revenue driver for Apple that it once was, but it safely sells about 20 million unit a year, delivering about $25 billion in revenue. The computers are also key for Apple to retain its professional market, which helps spur purchases of more popular devices like iPhones, AirPods and Apple Watches.For Intel, a break with Apple is more of a symbolic blow than a financial one. The entire Mac laptop lineup represents less than 5% of Intel’s annual revenue, according to an estimate by Stacy Rasgon, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein. The bigger concern is that Apple could embolden other computer makers to make similar moves, he said. “Now you have an actual PC that can run on something that’s not Intel.”Intel, the world’s largest chipmaker, has shrugged off attempts to unseat its dominance of personal computing for decades. Its only direct rival today is Advanced Micro Devices Inc., which has produced newer processors that have begun to take share over the last two years. But AMD’s revenue is still less than 10% of that of Intel.Other efforts to break Intel’s lucrative grip on computer processors haven’t made much of a dent. Microsoft Corp. has a version of Windows that works with chips made by Qualcomm Inc. PC makers, including Microsoft itself, have made laptops based on that combination. Those products are praised for their battery life but haven’t grabbed significant market share. The Qualcomm processors are based on the Arm technology that Apple uses in its semiconductors.While Intel’s grip on the market is largely intact and its earnings continue to grow, analysts have seen signs of slippagge. Most of that stems from persistent delays in introducing new production techniques. Once the leader in the crucial means of making processors faster and more efficient, Intel now trails Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the producer of all Apple-designed chips.Those slip-ups may have accelerated Apple’s departure from Intel, said Matt Ramsay, an analyst at Cowen & Co. Apple is a technology leader partly because of its control over both the software and hardware and its willingness to replace suppliers when it spots a vulnerability or an advantage elsewhere. “Their reputation with suppliers is of being somewhat ruthless,” said Ramsay. “It looks like another consequence of Intel’s execution challenges.”(Updates with more details starting in the fifth paragraph.)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
