Normally a roadmap is designed to show you how to get from where you are to where you want to be. Chip stock Intel (INTC) is finding out how difficult it can be when the roadmap keeps moving around. Despite some significant changes afoot, investors were willing to stick around, and gave shares a fractional boost in Monday afternoon’s trading.
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New reports out suggest that Intel has been renovating its roadmap pretty extensively in recent days. We had already heard about the Falcon Shores artificial intelligence (AI) chip, and how it was being largely scrapped in favor of a chip that would focus on rack solutions instead. The latest reports, meanwhile, suggest that that was not the only shuttered project at Intel, which is a distressing development.
While the 18A production node seems to be on track for a launch and production ramp in this year’s second half, another product, Clearwater Forest, seems to be no longer where it was. Clearwater Forest has been bumped back to 2026’s first half, and this is especially troubling. Clearwater Forest was supposed to be the first product produced on the 18A node, which is enough to prompt concern over whether or not 18A will emerge after all.
Datacenter Gone
Meanwhile, other reports suggest that Intel’s chances of getting in on AI at the datacenter may be dashed for good. The loss of Falcon Shores assures that Intel’s chances on that market are largely out the door. However, this may be a blessing in disguise as it frees up resources for other projects.
Specifically, reports note, Intel can cede the datacenter, and instead go after network edge operations, as well as PC environments. Assuming that Jaguar Shores can make it to market, Intel will be about a year, possibly two, away from bringing out a datacenter project for AI. The Lunar Lake chip, after all, is set to deliver some significant gains in AI PC operations.
Is Intel a Buy, Hold or Sell?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on INTC stock based on one Buy, 25 Holds and five Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 53.63% loss in its share price over the past year, the average INTC price target of $22.02 per share implies 12.52% upside potential.
