GoKawiilIntel’s stock hit a record high today in the aftermath of a Bloomberg report that claimed Apple is exploring Intel and Samsung Electronics as potential manufacturing partners for future device chips. Here are the details.
Intel hits record-high valuation
Last night, Bloomberg reported that Apple had been exploring early-stage talks with Intel and evaluating facilities from Samsung Electronics in a push to diversify production of its core device chips beyond TSMC.
The report noted that while Apple had reliability concerns, and it “may not ultimately move forward with another partner,” that was enough to send Intel’s stock on a tear.
Intel’s stock climbed as high as $110.48 during trading today, marking a record high, before closing at $108.18 with a record market cap of $543.71 billion.
Today’s gains extended what has been a remarkable comeback for Intel. After falling as low as $18.96 over the past year, the stock is now up 174% in 2026, and 433% from a year ago, with after-hours trading adding another 4.76%.
Much of these gains came after the U.S. government announced a deal to acquire a roughly 10% stake in the company on August 22, 2025.
In addition to his deal with Trump, Tan has overseen a major reversal in Intel’s business momentum since he replaced interim co-CEOs David Zinsner and Michelle Johnston Holthaus, who had been leading the company following the departure of former CEO Pat Gelsinger in December 2024.
In the interim, the company returned to revenue growth, topped Wall Street expectations, and has been benefiting from renewed demand for its core CPU business, particularly as AI infrastructure spending began expanding beyond GPUs.
When it comes to its relationship with Apple, rekindling a partnership would be another feather in Tan’s cap, since Apple famously ditched Intel following roadmap delays and missed deadlines that affected the Mac’s business.
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