D.A. Davidson analyst Gil Luria told MarketWatch that Intel’s stock move could be further indication that investors are looking to broaden beyond well-trodden AI plays like Nvidia by “rushing into more marginal players like [Intel] and memory stocks, with the belief that the great data-center buildout will drive growth in those shares as well.”

Articul8, an enterprise AI company spun out of Intel in early 2024, has secured more than half of a planned $70 million funding round at a $500 million pre-money valuation, according to its CEO, as it looks to capitalize on growing demand for AI systems in regulated industries.

One of the main drivers of Intel stock's performance in 2025 was a series of deals Tan struck. First, Tan secured an $8.9 billion equity investment from the U.S. Government, unlocking existing grant money that hadn't yet been delivered. Intel also received a $2 billion equity investment from SoftBank, further strengthening its balance sheet.

Nvidia finalized a $5B Intel stake after FTC approval, buying 214.7M shares. The move bolsters Intel’s foundry push as 18A ramps.

Intel used the CES 2026 stage to unveil its Panther Lake AI laptop chips built on the 18A process, with CEO Lip-Bu Tan saying the company "over-delivered" on its promise to ship the first 18A products by the end of 2025 as it ramps production and seeks to regain manufacturing credibility amid intensifying competition.

On Tuesday, TechCrunch reported that Intel was developing a chip specifically designed to power handheld gaming devices. The new chips are expected to help Intel take share in a mobile gaming chip market that could exceed $45 billion by 2030, according to MarketResearch.com.

Intel has been building chips designed for gaming PCs for years but the company is now moving into handheld devices too.

A custom-designed version of its new CPUs could make Intel-based gaming handhelds a better option this time around.

Today, Jan. 7, 2026, investors are weighing whether Intel’s Panther Lake launch and 18A roadmap can cement its AI PC revival.