Solar stocks surge after Treasury tightens clean energy tax credit rules
Investing.com - Bernstein maintained its Market Perform rating and $21.00 price target on Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), the $110.9 billion semiconductor giant, following reports of potential Trump administration investment in the chipmaker. The stock has surged nearly 20% in the past week, though InvestingPro data shows 26 analysts have recently revised their earnings expectations downward.
The rating reaffirmation came after Bloomberg reported that the Trump administration is discussing taking a stake in Intel, according to Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon. The discussions reportedly stem from a recent meeting between Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan and Trump. With Intel currently showing challenging fundamentals, including negative profitability over the last twelve months, investors seeking deeper insights can access comprehensive analysis through InvestingPro’s detailed research reports.
The potential government investment would reportedly help support Intel’s currently paused Ohio manufacturing expansion efforts, though no decisions have been finalized and talks could end without an agreement.
Both Intel and the Trump administration have declined to comment on the reported discussions, according to the Bloomberg report cited by Bernstein.
Bernstein noted that investor optimism around Intel may increase as the market waits to see if the Trump administration can bolster the company’s position, though the firm expressed caution about getting involved due to uncertainty surrounding the administration’s actions.
In other recent news, Intel Corporation is involved in discussions with the U.S. government regarding a potential equity stake through the Chips Act funds. This move could see some of Intel’s existing grants converted into equity or new funding allocated from the Chips Act pool. In a separate development, Moody’s Ratings downgraded Intel’s senior unsecured ratings to Baa2 from Baa1, citing a weak profitability outlook over the next 12 to 18 months. This downgrade is attributed to Intel’s declining market position in core segments and high operating losses in its foundry operations.
Furthermore, Intel is facing increased competition as Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and ARM processors continue to gain market share across all segments, according to a review by Bank of America. In addition to these challenges, three senior manufacturing executives at Intel are set to retire as the company’s new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, implements major changes. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hinted at the possibility of expanding a revenue-sharing agreement with China, which currently involves a 15% share of sales from advanced semiconductor chips. These developments reflect significant shifts and challenges for Intel in the current market landscape.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.