The news was looking pretty good for chip stock Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), and just at a time when a win could have been particularly useful. However, investors didn’t feel the same way, and the arrival of news about patches and pricing data that should have sparked interest instead sparked apathy. Shares slipped fractionally in Monday afternoon’s trading.
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First came word of a patch for the Meteor Lake processor line, which delivered a serious increase in performance. With the new one-line kernel patch, performance improved a whopping 72% overall. The patch in question addressed issues in the Intel P-State Energy Performance Preference value, which comes in the “balance_performance” state by default. Not only did the performance skyrocket in some conditions, but several other key points demonstrated boosts as well, including performance per Watt.
That wasn’t all, though, as Intel brought out pricing data on its Gaudi 2 and Gaudi 3 chips. The news there is especially good, as it’s said to boast a significantly better performance per dollar ratio than its counterparts at Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA).
Capitalizing on Earlier Releases
These reports come on top of Intel’s latest appearance at Computex, where it brought out plenty of news designed to roil the markets and hopefully give Intel a chance at coming out on top again. Intel detailed the planned launch of the Xeon 6 line, the full details on the Lunar Lake processors geared specifically toward AI PCs, and even talked about “ecosystem momentum” on the Gaudi 3.
We’ve seen several of these developments already, and when taken together, make Intel look like a formidable player in the market. Of course, it will have serious competition, including buzz-heavy Nvidia, but Intel’s name recognition and variety of developments should ensure it won’t be thrown out early, if at all.
Is Intel a Buy, Sell, or Hold?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on INTC stock based on three Buys, 26 Holds, and three Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 5.77% loss in its share price over the past year, the average INTC price target of $38.02 per share implies 23.88% upside potential.
