Chipmaker Gains Momentum Amid Foundry Expansion and Growing AI Demand
Intel (INTC) shares surged 10% on Thursday after President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that Apple has agreed to work with the semiconductor giant to manufacture processors. The statement followed a Wall Street Journal report indicating that Apple and Intel had reached a preliminary agreement for Intel to produce chips for the iPhone maker.
While Intel declined to comment on the reports, investors welcomed the development as a potential milestone in the company’s ongoing turnaround strategy. Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon suggested the initial partnership may focus on lower-volume components, though he noted that securing any business from Apple represents an important first step for Intel’s foundry ambitions.
The reported Apple agreement comes amid a series of positive developments for Intel. Recent reports indicate the company will manufacture millions of Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) for Google, while Nvidia is reportedly exploring Intel’s manufacturing capabilities for future chip production.
Intel has also achieved a key technical milestone with its advanced 18A-P process node entering initial production, bringing the company closer to full-scale manufacturing. Under CEO Lip-Bu Tan, Intel has continued efforts to expand its foundry business and attract third-party customers seeking alternatives to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).
The growing demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure is further supporting Intel’s outlook. As AI applications increasingly rely on CPUs alongside GPUs, Intel stands to benefit from expanding deployment of AI agents and data center technologies.
The optimism surrounding these initiatives has helped drive Intel shares up more than 250% year-to-date, reinforcing investor confidence in the company’s long-term recovery strategy.
