INTC stock gained a huge momentum following multiple positive developments for Intel Corporation. Nvidia announced a strategic $5 billion investment in Intel common stock at $23.28 per share, while Intel completed its Altera stake sale and reduced 2025 operating expenses by $200 million.
The share price of Intel Corporation as of September 17, 2025 is $24.89 per share, representing an increase of 3.40% from the prior week.
INTC stock benefits from historic Nvidia partnership and $5 billion investment
The collaboration connects Nvidia’s AI and accelerated computing technologies with Intel’s CPU capabilities through Nvidia NVLink. Under the agreement, Intel will build Nvidia-custom x86 CPUs for data centers that Nvidia will integrate into its AI infrastructure platforms.
For personal computing, Intel will develop x86 system-on-chips incorporating Nvidia RTX GPU chiplets, designed to power PCs requiring integrated high-performance CPUs and GPUs. Nvidia’s investment in INTC stock will be at $23.28 per share, subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.
“This historic collaboration tightly couples Nvidia’s AI and accelerated computing stack with Intel’s CPUs and the vast x86 ecosystem — a fusion of two world-class platforms,”
Said Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang.
Intel CEO emphasizes manufacturing capabilities advantage
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan stated, “Intel’s leading data center and client computing platforms, combined with our process technology, manufacturing and advanced packaging capabilities, will complement Nvidia’s AI and accelerated computing leadership to enable new breakthroughs for the industry.”
According to UBS analyst Timothy Arcuri, Intel is closing in on scoring Nvidia as a foundry customer, while Intel has both Microsoft and Amazon on board as Intel 18A customers. This foundry business expansion represents a key component of Intel’s turnaround strategy.
INTC stock gains from Altera sale and expense reduction
Shares of Intel added 4.1% at $25 on Monday, having surged almost 25% so far this year, following the completion of the Altera stake sale to Silver Lake. Intel immediately leveraged the Altera sale proceeds to lower its full-year expense outlook, reducing the 2025 non-GAAP operating expenses forecast from $17.0 billion to $16.8 billion.
Altera contributed $816 million in revenue in the first half of 2025, with a gross margin of 55% and operating expenses of $356 million. Intel completed the transaction on September 12, with Silver Lake acquiring a majority stake in Altera for an equity value of about $3.3 billion.
Core Ultra 3 processor shows promising performance benchmarks
Early reviews of Intel’s Core Ultra 3 205 processor showed positive results, with performance that “surpasses previous-gen Core i3-14100 and Core i5-14400.” The Core Ultra 3 205 uses four P-cores and four E-cores together to achieve clock speeds between 4.4 GHz and 4.9 GHz.
Early reviews highlighted the processor’s ability to provide “good performance for everyday computing,” with solid capability to “handle multiple browser tabs as well as 8K YouTube videos at low CPU usage.”
How to evaluate INTC stock investment opportunities
Investors considering INTC stock can evaluate the opportunity through these key metrics:
- Monitor Intel’s foundry business progress with major clients like Nvidia, Microsoft, and Amazon,
- Track quarterly revenue improvements from the Nvidia partnership implementation,
- Evaluate cost reduction progress against the $16.8 billion 2025 expense target,
- Watch for additional foundry customer announcements beyond current partnerships,
- Assess Intel’s 18A node technology advancement against TSMC competition,
- Monitor workforce reduction impact on operational efficiency.
INTC stock maintains TSMC independence with 18A technology
Intel’s absence from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp’s two-nanometer N2 foundry node customer list confirms Intel’s commitment to its own 18A node technology. Intel currently uses TSMC three-nanometer nodes, particularly the N3B, for server and client processors.
TSMC still eyeing a slice of Intel’s foundry
Instead of ordering TSMC’s N2 node, Intel will utilize its own 18A node using RibbonFET and PowerVia technologies for server and client hardware. Intel publicly announced these plans in August 2024, but the TSMC customer list absence provides confirmation.
Wall Street maintains cautious INTC stock outlook
INTC has a consensus rating of “hold” from the 35 analysts covering the stock, while the mean target price of $29.51 is nearly 38% higher than the previous one. Analysts have a Hold consensus rating on INTC stock based on one Buy, 24 Holds and three Sells assigned in the past three months.
After significant rally momentum, the average INTC stock price target of $22.17 per share implies potential downside risk from current levels. INTC stock jumps 10% amid Lip-Bu Tan’s CEO debut and optimism for a 2025 rebound, despite recent foundry setbacks.
How to track INTC stock performance and catalysts
INTC stock investors should monitor these key performance indicators:
- Quarterly earnings reports for foundry business revenue growth,
- Nvidia partnership implementation milestones and revenue contributions,
- Operating expense reduction progress toward $16 billion 2026 target,
- Intel 18A technology node customer wins and production ramp,
- Market share gains in data center and AI chip segments,
- Additional strategic partnerships similar to the Nvidia collaboration.
Selling a majority stake in Altera accomplishes two things for Intel: immediate cash flow improvement and reduced operating expenses, while Intel maintained its 2026 full-year operating expense target at $16 billion.
The combination of strategic partnerships, cost reduction, and technology advancement positions INTC stock for potential turnaround success under CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s leadership.
