Intel, US and White House
Digest more
After months of turbulence, Intel Corp. bulls are finally being rewarded for their patience. But the stock’s sudden rebound comes with a worrying side effect: a valuation so high its most recent precedent is from the dot-com era more than two decades ago.
Shares in the chip maker rose following news of SoftBank’s planned investment and a possible stake for the U.S. government.
The US government is in discussions to potentially take a partial ownership stake in Intel, according to an Aug. 18 report by Bloomberg. The deal could help accelerate the construction of Intel’s long-delayed semiconductor manufacturing plant in Ohio.
A $2 billion investment represents a roughly 2% stake, ranking SoftBank the fifth-largest shareholder of Intel, while a reported 10% stake by the U.S. would be worth about $10.4 billion as of Monday’s share price.
Intel is getting a $2 billion capital injection from SoftBank Group in a major vote of confidence for the troubled U.S. chipmaker in the middle of a turnaround.
The investment will make SoftBank Intel’s fifth biggest investor, with the conglomerate paying $23 per share of Intel common stock. Lip-Bu Tan, Intel’s CEO, said in a statement that he “appreciate (s) the confidence (SoftBank) has placed in Intel with this investment.”
The U.S. chipmaker has struggled to keep pace in the AI market alongside competitors like Nvidia. Softbank has agreed to buy Intel common stock at $23 per share.
SoftBank will invest $2 billion into Intel as the struggling chipmaker pulls back on spending and lays off thousands of workers. In an announcement, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said the investment aligns with the firm’s belief that “advanced semiconductor manufacturing and supply will further expand in the United States.”
Shares in the chip maker rose following news of SoftBank’s planned investment and a possible stake for the U.S. government.