Intel posts fastest revenue growth in 15 years as AI chip demand soars

Intel’s second‑quarter 2026 results showed revenue of $16.1 billion, up 25% year‑on‑year, driven by a 59% surge in its data‑center and AI segment to $6.3 billion. Adjusted earnings per share of $0.42 doubled Wall Street forecasts, while the GAAP result recorded an $11 billion loss tied to an accounting write‑down of escrowed shares linked to a U.S. government subsidy deal. The earnings beat lifted the stock roughly 10‑12% in after‑hours trading and reinforced CEO Lip‑Bu Tan’s AI‑focused turnaround plan, including higher capital‑expenditure guidance.

The AI boom is lifting other semiconductor players. Nvidia continues to record record GPU sales and expanding into server‑CPU markets. Taiwan’s TSMC reported a 59% jump in June export orders, reaching a record $95.3 billion, reflecting global AI‑driven demand. AMD announced a multi‑billion‑dollar contract with Anthropic to supply AI accelerators. Super Micro Computer disclosed a $60 billion order backlog, prompting analysts to flag potential capital‑raising needs.

Analysts note that the broader AI‑driven semiconductor surge is reshaping market dynamics, creating strong growth for CPUs, GPUs, and contract‑manufacturing services, while also exposing financing risks in the valuation of high‑cost AI hardware clusters.