Intel Jumps 7.8% Above $140.95 Record as AI CPU Demand Lifts 2026 Gain to 285%

1 articles · Updated · CNBC · Jun 30

Intel rose 7.8% Tuesday to trade above its June 22 record close of $140.95, making it the S&P 500’s third-best performer of 2026 with a nearly 285% year-to-date gain.
AI inference is driving the rally: as computing shifts from training large language models to running agentic systems, investors are betting CPUs will capture more value than GPUs in day-to-day workloads.
Intel’s foundry business is adding to that appeal because it could ease chip-production bottlenecks and support the Trump administration’s push to expand advanced semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S.
Lip-Bu Tan, who took over in March 2025, has made reviving the foundry a priority, while an unconfirmed June 18 claim from Trump said Intel and Apple had agreed to design and build chips domestically.
The surge also stands out within the broader AI-chip trade: AMD is up about 170% in 2026 and Arm nearly 230%, but Intel has now moved ahead of both in market momentum.