Intel Stock Soars on AI Hype and $15B Lifeline – Can the Rally Last?
Intel shares have mounted a stunning comeback in 2025, riding optimism that the embattled chipmaker can regain its footing in the AI era. The stock has climbed roughly 90% year-to-date, closing around $38 per share at last week’s end – territory it hasn’t seen in nearly two years ts2.tech. Just this Friday, Intel spiked as much as 7.8% intraday after its quarterly earnings beat, hitting an 18-month high before settling up about 2% on the day reuters.com reuters.com. By comparison, industry darlings Nvidia and AMD – whose stocks have also surged on the AI boom – are up ~34% and ~80% YTD respectively, meaning Intel has outperformed its rivals in 2025’s market rally reuters.com ts2.tech. This marks a dramatic reversal from 2024, when Intel posted its first annual loss in decades and its shares languished near multi-year lows. Traders note that Intel’s stock momentum gained steam through late summer and early fall amid a flurry of upbeat headlines. The share price roughly doubled from its January trough to mid-October ts2.tech. An October “golden cross” – where the 50-day moving average rose above the 200-day – signaled improving technical trends, though some indicators suggest the stock may be overbought after the