<div id="readability-page-1"><div> <h2>Key Points</h2><ul><li>Intel stock went on a historic run in recent weeks despite some concerns of an AI bubble.</li><li>The company notched several achievements in the past year under CEO Lip-Bu Tan.</li><li>Intel experienced 7% year-over-year sales growth in its fiscal first quarter and gained key partnerships, including Nvidia.</li><li>10 stocks we like better than Intel ›</li></ul>Veteran tech giant Intel's (NASDAQ: INTC) stock has gone on a historic run in recent weeks. This is in stark contrast to 2025, when shares slumped to a 52-week low of $18.97.Last year, investors doubted Intel's ability to capitalize on the artificial intelligence (AI) supercycle, in which AI is increasingly integrated across industries. Moreover, Wall Street bears were citing massive spending by tech companies as an AI bubble poised to pop.Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an &#34;Indispensable Monopoly&#34; providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »I also held doubts about Intel, but now I think otherwise. The stock's incredible turnaround isn't why I've changed my mind about the chipmaker. Here's what the bears are missing, and why Intel is now a compelling long-term investment.<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-dXJsPWh0dHBzOi8vZy5mb29sY2RuLmNvbS9lZGl0b3JpYWwvaW1hZ2VzLzg2MjY4NC9pbnRlbC1jdWJlLXN0YXR1ZS13aXRoLWxpdC11cC1pbnRlbC1sb2dvX2ludGVsLmpwZyZ3PTcwMA?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="700" height="420" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-dXJsPWh0dHBzOi8vZy5mb29sY2RuLmNvbS9lZGl0b3JpYWwvaW1hZ2VzLzg2MjY4NC9pbnRlbC1jdWJlLXN0YXR1ZS13aXRoLWxpdC11cC1pbnRlbC1sb2dvX2ludGVsLmpwZyZ3PTcwMA"/>Image source: Intel. <h2>The AI supercycle has steam</h2>Wall Street's concerns over AI spending contributed to tech stocks plunging in the first quarter of this year, as the bear narrative took hold. That perspective has waned in Q2, and for good reason.What the AI bears are missing is that existing tech hardware must be upgraded to support AI. Artificial intelligence is evolving in sophistication, as demonstrated by the rise of AI agents. This evolution requires more powerful computers, contributing to businesses spending $1 trillion in 2025 to upgrade data center infrastructure.The upgrades will unfold over several years, which means Intel's opportunity to capitalize on the AI supercycle isn't over. Even so, what makes the company capable of succeeding when it struggled in the past? The turning point was the appointment of Lip-Bu Tan as Intel CEO in March 2025.Fast-forward to 2026, and Tan reflected on how far the company has come, stating: &#34;A year ago, the conversation about Intel was about whether we could survive. Today, it is about how quickly we can add manufacturing capacity and scale our supply to meet enormous demand for our products.&#34;<h2>Intel's rebound</h2>Under Tan's leadership, Intel forged major partnerships and demonstrated progress toward reigniting its growth. Its foundry business is a key differentiator between the chipmaker and competitors such as AMD, a fabless semiconductor company that outsources chip manufacturing.Intel's foundry capabilities led the U.S. government to invest $8.9 billion in Intel stock last year. It also contributed to the company partnering with the Elon Musk-led Terafab project, which involves building one of the biggest semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the world.Tan's friendship with Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, helped Intel forge a collaboration with the AI leader. Tan mentioned recently that the two are working on &#34;exciting new products.&#34;The momentum Tan established not only powered Intel shares to an all-time high of $132.75 on May 11, but it also led to encouraging business performance. In Intel's fiscal first quarter ended March 28, revenue rose 7% year over year to $13.6 billion. Its data center and AI division achieved strong 22% year-over-year sales growth to $5.1 billion, while its foundry business rose 16% over the prior year to $5.4 billion.The ongoing demand for AI semiconductor products, coupled with Tan's leadership, positions Intel to see continued growth. In fact, the company forecasts fiscal Q2 sales to come in between $13.8 billion and $14.8 billion, up from the prior year's $12.9 billion. These are the reasons why Intel is a worthwhile stock to buy, but wait for its historic share price run to cool off before deciding to invest.<h2>Should you buy stock in Intel right now?</h2> Before you buy stock in Intel, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Intel wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $483,476!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,362,941!* Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 998% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 207% for the S&amp;P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2026. Robert Izquierdo has positions in Advanced Micro Devices, Intel, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Intel, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc. </div></div>

INTC

INTW

Intel's stock has surged recently, overcoming previous doubts about its role in the AI supercycle. Under CEO Lip-Bu Tan, the company achieved 7% sales growth in Q1 and formed key partnerships, including with Nvidia. Despite concerns of an AI bubble, the demand for upgraded tech infrastructure presents a long-term opportunity for Intel. The company forecasts Q2 sales between $13.8 billion and $14.8 billion, indicating continued growth potential. However, analysts suggest waiting for a price correction before investing.

- Intel's stock has surged recently, recovering from a low of $18.97 in 2025, aided by CEO Lip-Bu Tan's leadership.  
- The company reported a 7% increase in fiscal Q1 sales and established key partnerships, including one with Nvidia, amid ongoing demand for AI technology.  
- Despite its recent success, analysts suggest investors consider other stocks, as Intel is not included in a list of top recommendations.

nasdaq

Intel

I've Changed My Mind on Intel Stock. Here's What the AI Supercycle Bears Are Missing.