Intel shares drop 21% on Israel factory blast, PC weakness
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Oct 29 : Intel shares plunged 21 per cent on Thursday after the chipmaker said a deadly explosion at its Israel factory would erase roughly $600 million in revenue over two quarters, while a faltering PC market could dent sales through the first half of next year.
A below-estimates forecast came as exponential increases in memory prices have weighed on sales. Unless the stock recovers from the after-hours loss during Friday's session, Intel would shed over $80 billion in market value.
The gloomy outlook reverberated across the chip sector. Nvidia, Broadcom, AMD, Micron, Qualcomm and Arm Holdings' US-listed shares fell between 1 per cent and 6 per cent in extended trading.
"I'm disappointed that we were not able to meet strong customer demand in this quarter," Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan said on a conference call with analysts. "We face near-term challenges, including manufacturing supply shortages, the unprecedented memory crunch, and the resulting softness in PC demand."
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The October explosion at its Kiryat Gat, Israel factory, or fab, killed two and seriously injured one, according to local media reports. Finance chief David Zinsner said Intel planned to start ramping up production at the facility by the end of this week after a two-week shutdown.
The fourth-quarter revenue outlook has been reduced by roughly $300 million and its gross margin outlook by about 200 basis points, Zinsner said in an interview with Reuters. He said the company expects a similar revenue impact in the first quarter.
Intel is in the process of determining which wafers are salvageable for use and sale after the blast.
"We're still assessing all of the wafers to see which ones are usable and which ones aren't, so we'll have to see whether there is an impact that stretches beyond that," Zinsner said.
The Kiryat Gat fab largely produces data center chips using the company's 10 nanometer manufacturing process.
"The explosion at Kiryat Gat, one of Intel’s major manufacturing sites, is unfortunate and brought down Intel’s capacity," said Hendi Susanto, portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds. "The question is whether Intel can build capacity fast enough to capture it."
SLOWING PC SALES
Before Thursday's after-hours drop, Intel's stock had more than doubled this year. Now investors must weigh ongoing manufacturing constraints and soft PC demand against strong demand for its AI server chips and efforts to revive growth through a costly foundry expansion. Zinsner said he expects the PC slowdown will continue through the first half of next year.
The company expects PC revenue to decline in the mid-20 per cent range for its fourth quarter, Zinsner said in the interview.
Sales in Intel's PC chip business fell 5 per cent to $8.10 billion, missing estimates of $8.98 billion. Investors have been watching for signs that demand has stabilized despite the company's expectation for a soft personal-computing market in the second half of this year and into 2027.
"Client computing is still a big factor in Intel's earnings so while it is likely short-term, it will still impact earnings for the near term and I think that's the biggest issue," said Anshel Sag, an analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.
The results also put a spotlight on Intel's funding plans. In August, the company raised $23 billion from an upsized share offering, as it seeks to challenge industry leaders such as TSMC in contract chip manufacturing.
Intel expects fourth-quarter revenue between $15 billion and $16 billion, below analysts' average estimate of $17.07 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. Adjusted profit is expected to be 25 cents per share, trailing estimates of 43 cents.
TURNAROUND PLANS
On the conference call with investors, Zinsner said Intel does not expect to have positive cash flow this year as it invests in expanding manufacturing capacity.
In July, the company raised its 2026 capital spending forecast to $20 billion from $18 billion and said 2027 spending would increase significantly to expand manufacturing capacity.
Tan has been leading the company's turnaround after it fell behind Nvidia, whose graphics processors dominate the AI boom. Intel's contract manufacturing, or foundry business, is a key part of his revival strategy.
In the third quarter ended September 26, revenue rose 21 per cent to $16.51 billion, largely in line with estimates of $16.50 billion. Adjusted profit came in at 52 cents per share, beating estimates of 40 cents.
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