Shares of Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) rose more than 8% on Friday, following the company’s third-quarter earnings release. The shares are currently trading 7.81% higher at $23.20. This is despite Intel reporting a loss of $16.6 billion in the July-September period, which was lower than expected. The market appreciated the upbeat fourth-quarter forecast and growth in the company’s data center and artificial intelligence (AI) segments, which highlighted Intel’s efforts to reposition itself as a key player in artificial intelligence.
Intel’s revenue came in at $13.28 billion, slightly higher than the expected $13 billion, boosted by performance in the Data Center and AI (DCAI) segment. This segment generated revenue of $3.35 billion, marking a 9% year-over-year increase and exceeding analysts’ expectations. Intel attributed this growth to growing demand for its Xeon processors, designed to handle demanding workloads, including artificial intelligence, data analytics and cloud computing, and its Gaudi AI accelerators, designed to improve deep learning training and inference tasks, which aim to compete with Nvidia’s AI chips. While Gaudi adoption has been slower than expected, the chipmaker is seeing strong interest from customers.
CEO Pat Gelsinger acknowledged that Intel has a long way to go to gain market share in artificial intelligence, but the DCAI results reflect steady progress. “The momentum we are building across our product portfolio to maximize the value of our x86 franchise, combined with the strong interest Intel 18A is generating from foundry customers, reflects the impact of our actions and future opportunities,” he said. Gelsinger said in a statement.
As Intel continues to face stiff competition from established players like Nvidia and AMD, the company is banking on its foundry services to diversify its customer base. During the quarter, Intel secured two new customers for its 18A manufacturing process. Intel has also contracted Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop custom chips, a move that could pave the way for Intel to expand its presence in the data center space.
Looking ahead, Intel provided an average revenue estimate of $13.8 billion for the fourth quarter, beating Wall Street’s expectations of $13.66 billion. Additionally, the company expects adjusted earnings of $0.12 per share, about 50% above analysts’ estimates, with an expected gross margin of 39.5%.
Despite these gains, some analysts remain cautious. Morgan Stanley’s Joseph Moore noted that while Intel’s improvements are encouraging, much work remains to position itself competitively in the AI space. Mark Lipacis, an analyst at Evercore ISI, echoed this sentiment, highlighting Intel’s need for further advancements in the foundry and data center segments to sustain long-term growth. However, the positive market reaction suggests that investors see potential in Intel’s gradual turnaround.