Why Intel Stock Soared Today

By Joe Tenebruso – Jan 9, 2026 at 7:16PM ESTKey PointsIntel CEO Lip-Bu Tan had a successful meeting with the President of the United States.The U.S. government's investment in Intel is already solidly in the black.These 10 Stocks Could Mint the Next Wave of Millionaires ›NASDAQ: INTCIntelMarket Cap$196BToday's Changeangle-down(10.90%) $4.48Current Price$45.59Price as of January 9, 2026 at 3:58 PM ETPresident Trump wants to bring "leading-edge chip manufacturing back to America."Shares of Intel (INTC +10.90%) leaped over 10% on Friday, following President Donald Trump's positive comments about the U.S.-based chipmaker. Image source: Intel. High praise for Intel's leadership Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan met with President Trump earlier this week. That meeting apparently went very well. After the market close on Tuesday, Trump lauded the "very successful" Lip-Bu Tan. Trump noted the recent launch of the semiconductor giant's new Core Ultra Series 3 processors, the "first sub-2-nanometer CPU processor designed, built, and packaged right here in the U.S.A." ExpandNASDAQ: INTCIntelToday's Change(10.90%) $4.48Current Price$45.59Key Data PointsMarket Cap$196BDay's Range$41.58 - $45.7352wk Range$17.66 - $45.73Volume6.2MAvg Vol90MGross Margin35.58% In August, the U.S. government took a 10% stake in the American chipmaker. It paid $8.9 billion to buy 433.3 million shares of Intel at $20.47 per share. With Intel's stock now trading at $45.55, that stake is currently worth more than $19.7 billion.Advertisement "The United States government is proud to be a shareholder of Intel, and has already made, through its U.S.A. ownership position, tens of billions of dollars for the American people -- in just four months," Trump said. "We made a great deal, and so did Intel." The onshoring trend is accelerating To fund its investment in Intel, the government used grants from the CHIPS and Science Act and other programs intended to support the manufacturing of semiconductor chips used for artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies within the borders of the U.S. "Our country is determined to bring leading-edge chip manufacturing back to America, and that is exactly what is happening," Trump said. Read NextJan 8, 2026 •By Timothy GreenIntel's New Gaming Chip Could End AMD's Handheld Gaming MonopolyJan 8, 2026 •By Timothy GreenWhy Panther Lake Is Intel's Most Important Product Launch in YearsJan 7, 2026 •By Daniel SparksIntel Stock Soars to Start the Year: Is It a Buy?Jan 7, 2026 •By Joe TenebrusoWhy Intel Stock Popped TodayJan 7, 2026 •By Jeff SantoroStock Market Today, Jan. 7: Intel Surges After Panther Lake AI PC Chips Spark Investor OptimismJan 7, 2026 •By Timothy GreenWhy Intel Stock Soared 84% in 2025About the AuthorJoe Tenebruso is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst. Previously, Joe was an investment analyst for Stock Advisor, Income Investor, and Crypto Society, as well as several other market-beating investing services. He graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance.tmfguardianX@Tier1InvestorStocks MentionedIntelNASDAQ: INTC$45.59 (+0.11%) $+4.48*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.Advertisement