This 55-Year-Old Stock Is Suddenly On Fire

By Matthew Benjamin – Apr 16, 2026 at 7:58AM ESTKey PointsThe chipmaker has reported good news that signals a turnaround.Investors might wait to see what quarterly financial results show.One of the oldest tech companies around is once again looking very attractive to investors. Shares of Intel (INTC +1.77%) have known extreme ups and downs over the past decade. The company went public back in 1971 and enjoyed a massive run-up during the dot-com boom of the 1990s. It then dropped like a rock and traded sideways for a decade. In recent years, it has struggled; the stock price lost two-thirds of its value between early 2021 and early 2025. Investors began to write the chipmaker off as a dinosaur in an age when companies like Nvidia and Broadcom became the industry leaders. But that may be changing. ExpandNASDAQ: INTCIntelToday's Change(1.77%) $1.13Current Price$64.94Key Data PointsMarket Cap$326BDay's Range$62.88 - $65.8452wk Range$18.25 - $65.84Volume1.6MAvg Vol107MGross Margin35.24% Lately, Intel has been on a hot streak. Beginning on March 31, shares have rallied nine trading sessions in a row, adding more than $100 million in market value. As a result, the stock is up 76% in 2026. The winning streak was prompted by good news that indicates the company may have pulled off a remarkable turnaround. This month, Intel signed on to participate in Terafab, Elon Musk's venture to build a chip fabrication plant for his Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI companies. This signals to investors that Intel is relevant once again and ready to compete with more recent semiconductor industry entrants. Intel also recently announced a new partnership with Google's parent company, Alphabet. The search engine and AI giant has committed to using Intel CPU chips in its data centers. Image source: Getty Images. Finally, on April 1, Intel said it would repurchase the 49% share that investment firm Apollo owns in its Ireland fab facility. That's a sign that the company is financially stable once again. Investors might wait to see the latest quarterly results Of course, the proof of actual financial strength will come when Intel reports its most recent financial results. That will happen on Thursday, April 23. Investors will be watching that earnings report closely to see if all the good news is translating into positive momentum for revenues and profits. Due to the recent rally in Intel's share price, the stock is also relatively expensive. Shares are trading at 122 times forward earnings. Compare that to Nvidia, an enormously popular stock that is trading at about 23 times forward earnings. So, despite all the good news coming from Intel in recent weeks, smart investors might wait to see the company's latest results. There are lots of chipmakers to invest in -- it's not yet clear that Intel is the best one. Investors interested in a diversified mix of large semiconductor and semiconductor equipment stocks should check out the State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD +1.08%). It's up about 18% this year and 114% over the past 52 weeks.Read NextApr 15, 2026 •By Jose NajarroAmazing News for Intel and AMD ShareholdersApr 15, 2026 •By Trevor JennewineNvidia Has 74% of Its Portfolio Invested in 2 Artificial Intelligence (AI) StocksApr 14, 2026 •By Scott LevineBest Internet of Things Stocks for 2026 and How to InvestApr 14, 2026 •By Lyle DalyBest Wide-Moat Stocks for 2026 and How to InvestApr 12, 2026 •By Billy DubersteinHere's the Real Reason SpaceX Is Teaming Up With Intel on TerafabApr 10, 2026 •By John BallardIntel vs.

Advanced Micro Devices: Shifting Trends in RevenueAbout the AuthorMatthew Benjamin is a contributing Motley Fool stock market and investing analyst covering publicly-traded companies across all sectors. Prior to The Motley Fool, Matt was a senior markets expert at an investing newsletter in Baltimore, an editorial consultant to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and an economics correspondent at Bloomberg News. He holds a B.A. from Bucknell University and an M.A. from New York University. Fun fact: Matt has met every Federal Reserve Chair from Paul Volcker through Jerome Powell.TMFMbenjamin68Stocks MentionedIntelNASDAQ: INTC$64.94(+1.77%)+$1.13SPDR Series Trust - State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETFNYSEMKT: XSD$393.28(+1.08%)+$4.22*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.