Intel Records Growth Not Seen in 15 Years: Concerns Behind the Success

Semiconductor giant Intel Corporation announced unexpected financial results for the second quarter of 2026. The company's revenue increased by 25 percent compared to the same period last year, exceeding 16 billion dollars. This marks the highest growth rate recorded since 2011, causing a major stir in the tech world. This was reported by Ixbt.com reported by.

According to ixbt.com, the company's net income per share was 0.42 dollars, which is twice the analysts' forecast. However, despite such a positive report, investors remain skeptical about the company's future. As a result, Intel shares initially rose after the report, then began a sharp decline, losing 28 percent of their total value over the month of July.

The main driver of the company's success was technologies designed for AI and Data Center. Revenue from this division increased by 59 percent, exceeding 6 billion dollars. Additionally, the CPU business grew by 13 percent, and the contract chip manufacturing (foundry) direction grew by 31 percent.

AI and Production Capacities

For the first time in many years, Intel management reported facing product shortages in the data center segment, meaning demand significantly outpaces supply. As a result of the cost-cutting program implemented by Lip-Bu Tan and market recovery, the company's gross margin rebounded from 3 percent last year to 42 percent.

The company is also giving optimistic forecasts for the next quarter. In the third quarter, revenue is expected to be around 16-17 billion dollars, which is significantly higher than market expectations. Intel also announced signing 10 major long-term contracts, indicating stabilization in the supply chain.

What Worries Investors?

The primary doubt among market participants is related to Intel's ability to attract major clients for chip production based on cutting-edge technological processes. Currently, the only publicly announced major client for contract manufacturing remains Fortinet, though it uses relatively older technologies rather than the most advanced ones.

Furthermore, a warning was issued that CPU sales for personal computers might stall in the third quarter due to a shortage of RAM modules. According to experts, the future of Intel shares depends not on current profits, but on whether the company can compete with giants like NVIDIA or Apple in foundry services.