Does Intel Stock Lead the Pack?
Intel’s stock has outperformed many peers over the past year, but how does it measure against those rapidly scaling the AI and data center boom? As of January 8, 2026, a closer look reveals negative profitability and revenue growth, coupled with a very high valuation, indicating limited upside if competitors continue to dominate high-growth segments. Intel‘s stock has surged, with some reports indicating gains around 90-107% in the past year, outperforming many rivals. However, the company faces challenges with negative operating margins and free cash flow. Furthermore, Intel‘s last twelve months’ revenue growth has been negative, and its P/E ratio remains exceptionally high, ranging from 125.4x to over 900x, significantly above the semiconductor industry average and its peers. This stretched valuation and ongoing competitive pressures from AMD and NVIDIA in key growth areas like AI and data centers suggest that while the market may have priced in a “worst is over” sentiment, substantial further upside could be limited unless operational improvements translate into sustained financial gains.
- INTC’s near-zero operating margin, the lowest among peers, reflects heavy foundry investments; NVDA’s 58.8% stems from AI/data center GPU dominance.
- INTC’s -1.5% revenue growth lags peers due to PC market slump and intense data center competition, while rivals capitalize on AI demand.
- INTC’s 106.8% stock gain, with a 937.2 PE, reflects foundry turnaround optimism and AI PC bets, even as MU delivered stronger AI memory-driven returns.
Here’s how Intel stacks up across size, valuation, and profitability versus key peers.
| INTC | AMD | NVDA | QCOM | AVGO | MU | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap ($ Bil) | 185.6 | 332.8 | 4,501.5 | 196.1 | 1,573.6 | 367.9 |
| Revenue ($ Bil) | 53.4 | 32.0 | 187.1 | 44.3 | 63.9 | 42.3 |
| PE Ratio | 937.2 | 100.7 | 45.4 | 35.4 | 68.0 | 30.9 |
| LTM Revenue Growth | -1.5% | 31.8% | 65.2% | 13.7% | 23.9% | 45.4% |
| LTM Operating Margin | -0.2% | 9.4% | 58.8% | 28.0% | 40.8% | 32.5% |
| LTM FCF Margin | -15.8% | 17.0% | 41.3% | 28.9% | 42.1% | 11.0% |
| 12M Market Return | 106.8% | 68.0% | 32.1% | 16.9% | 46.3% | 230.0% |
For more details on Intel, read Buy or Sell INTC Stock. Below we compare INTC’s growth, margin, and valuation with peers across years
Revenue Growth Comparison
| LTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INTC | -1.5% | – | -2.1% | -14.0% | -20.2% |
| AMD | 31.8% | – | 13.7% | -3.9% | 43.6% |
| NVDA | 65.2% | 114.2% | 125.9% | 0.2% | |
| QCOM | 13.7% | 13.7% | 8.8% | -19.0% | |
| AVGO | 23.9% | 23.9% | 44.0% | 7.9% | |
| MU | 45.4% | 48.9% | 61.6% | -49.5% |
Operating Margin Comparison
| LTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INTC | -0.2% | – | -8.9% | 0.1% | 3.7% |
| AMD | 9.4% | – | 8.1% | 1.8% | 5.4% |
| NVDA | 58.8% | 62.4% | 54.1% | 20.7% | |
| QCOM | 28.0% | 28.0% | 26.3% | 24.1% | |
| AVGO | 40.8% | 40.8% | 29.1% | 45.9% | |
| MU | 32.5% | 26.2% | 5.2% | -34.8% |
PE Ratio Comparison
| LTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INTC | 937.2 | – | -8.4 | 49.7 | 25.8 |
| AMD | 100.7 | – | 211.4 | 228.3 | 174.3 |
| NVDA | 45.4 | 62.8 | 111.4 | 282.0 | |
| QCOM | 35.4 | 33.8 | 16.9 | 22.3 | |
| AVGO | 68.0 | 70.5 | 181.9 | 32.9 | |
| MU | 30.9 | 37.3 | 119.5 | -16.0 |
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