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Intel is back to being a profitable company.
Shares of the embattled chipmaker surged in extended trading Thursday, after the company swung to a profit that blew past analysts’ estimates.
Intel posted adjusted earnings of 23 cents per share for the third quarter, compared to a loss in the preceding and year-ago quarters, and well above the 2 cents per share analysts expected. Its revenue rose 3% year-over-year to $13.7 billion, also topping projections compiled by Visible Alpha.
Why This Is Significant
After undergoing a major restructuring, getting a new CEO, and striking a string of high-profile deals in recent months that saw the U.S. government take a 10% stake in the company, Intel faces intense pressure to show it’s making progress toward a turnaround. Thursday’s earnings beat could be taken as a sign that it’s heading in the right direction.
CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who took over in March of this year, said the results showed Intel’s “steady progress” in its turnaround, with demand for AI helping create “attractive opportunities” across its portfolio.
“We took meaningful steps this quarter to strengthen our balance sheet, including accelerated funding from the U.S. Government and investments by NVIDIA and SoftBank Group that increase our operational flexibility and demonstrate the critical role we play in the ecosystem,” said CFO David Zinsner, adding he sees demand for Intel’s products outpacing supply into 2026.
Looking ahead, Intel said it expects adjusted earnings of 8 cents per share in the fourth quarter on revenue of $12.8 billion to $13.8 billion, roughly in line with analysts’ expectations.
Shares of Intel jumped over 8% in after-hours trading following the release. They were up 90% for 2025 through Thursday’s close after a months-long rally on a flurry of high-profile deals.
CORRECTION: This article has been updated since it was first published to reflect Intel’s fourth-quarter forecast was in line with analysts’ estimates.

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