Making sense of Intel's book value
Indeed, Intel has no plans to liquidate, meaning it will have to eventually unlock some of its intrinsic value to drive investor returns. This is difficult because the loss of its technical lead makes it more of a commodity chip business. Such stocks tend to have difficulty attracting a premium and outperforming the S&P 500, leaving cutting-edge stocks like Nvidia to attract premium pricing.
Nonetheless, Intel still holds competitive advantages often overlooked by today's investors. For one, no company owns more foundries on U.S. soil than Intel. The government has pushed for domestic manufacturing, and Intel is investing in the most advanced equipment sold by ASML, which is necessary to make the world's most advanced chips.
Additionally, it remains a force in the industry despite losing its title as the world's largest semiconductor company many years ago. In the first quarter of 2025, Intel generated $12.7 billion in revenue. Although that fell slightly from year-ago levels, that is well above the $7.4 billion in revenue generated by Advanced Micro Devices, making it a major industry player. Thus, if it finds a way to close its technical gap and draws more customers to its foundries, Intel could stage a comeback.
Investing in Intel stock
Despite its numerous challenges, Intel stock is still a speculative buy for risk-averse investors. Admittedly, Lip-Bu Tan's attempt to transform Intel will take years to achieve, and that success is not guaranteed.
