Intel Corporation INTC shares surged to fresh record highs, rising as much as 15% in a single session on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. The spike extended a historic rally that has already seen the stock rise 422% over the past year and 148.4% since April.
The Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) Santa Clara-based company designs, develops, manufactures, markets, sells and services computing and related end products and services in the United States, Ireland, Israel, and internationally. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
CNBC noted that Intel’s share price rose after Bloomberg News reported that Apple Inc. AAPL is in exploratory talks with Intel and Samsung Electronics about manufacturing chips in the United States. The company’s executives visited Samsung’s developing Texas facility and held preliminary discussions with Intel regarding potential chipmaking partnerships. Apple, which has historically relied almost exclusively on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) for advanced chip production, is now seeking greater supply-chain diversification amid geopolitical tensions and growing concerns about chip availability for artificial intelligence (AI)-related products.
Investors view Apple’s interest as a major validation of Intel’s improving foundry business. Although Intel was seen as a legacy chipmaker, it has struggled in recent years with manufacturing delays and loss of technological leadership in the AI era. However, the company has recently rebuilt confidence through aggressive investments in its foundry business, strategic partnerships, and AI-related computing infrastructure.
Rising demand for AI infrastructure has further strengthened Intel’s prospects. CEO Lip-Bu Tan recently, on the company’s first-quarterearnings call described CPUs as an “indispensable foundation of the AI era,” highlighting the company’s renewed positioning in artificial intelligence. Intel’s resurgence has been supported by several developments beyond the Apple report. The company expanded its partnerships with Google and Elon Musk’s Terafab project, while also acquiring the remaining stake in its Fab 34 facility in Ireland for $14.2 billion. Government and industry support also contributed to the turnaround. Intel received an $8.9 billion investment from the U.S. government last year, alongside a separate $5 billion commitment from NVIDIA Corporation NVDA in September.
Even if no formal partnership emerges immediately, as discussions with Samsung and Intel remain at early stages, as neither effort has resulted in any orders so far. Analysts believe Apple’s willingness to consider, Intel signals a dramatic shift in industry perception and confirms that the company has re-established itself as a credible semiconductor manufacturing player.
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