Intel in Trouble or Ready for Redemption?There is growing potential for QUALCOMM Incorporated to acquire Intel.
I now believe that this development has advanced enough to warrant a fresh look at the stock
Qualcomm recently approached Intel about a takeover. According to WSJ , Qualcomm has expressed interest in acquiring Intel, which, if realized, would mark one of the most significant deals in recent history
Initially, this seemed like a long shot, with limited details emerging from the report. However, QCOM has continued to pursue the idea. Also QCOM has been in contact with Chinese antitrust regulators over the past month about this potential deal and is waiting until after the US presidential election to decide on making a formal offer. Since the election is just less than a month away, I believe this acquisition is becoming more of a possibility that investors should factor into their assessment of INTC. If a deal goes through, it’s likely that the acquisition will come at a premium to the current stock price, creating an opportunity for significant short term gains for investors
There is always a chance that no deal will occur. In that case, potential investors should evaluate whether the stock is worth holding as a long-term investment. My outlook here is not optimistic, and I’ll delve into INTC's competitive position, as indicated by its latest inventory data, in the next section
Given these two potential scenarios, I am upgrading my rating from "Sell" to "Hold." In summary, the possibility of QCOM acquiring INTC introduces a major upside catalyst that I hadn’t accounted for in my previous analysis. This potential acquisition helps offset some of the concerns about INTC as a standalone company.
Unlike many financial metrics that can be interpreted in different ways, inventory levels are more straightforward. He also explained that inventory trends can provide early indicators of business cycles. For cyclical industries, rising inventories can signal overproduction as demand wanes, while shrinking inventories can indicate strong demand
As shown in INTC’s most recent balance sheet, its inventory levels have generally been on the rise. For instance, in December 2014, inventory was valued at $ 4.273 billion, while the most recent figures show an increase to $ 11.244 billion. In some cases, rising inventory can signal business growth with increasing demand and production capacity, which was true for Intel in the early part of the last decade.
When inventory growth exceeds the pace of business growth, it becomes a red flag. In this scenario, rising inventory suggests weakened competitiveness and declining market position—an issue that Intel currently faces, in my opinion. The following chart helps illustrate this point, showing a comparison of days of inventory outstanding (DIO) for Intel and NVIDIA over the last five years, from 2020 to 2024. DIO is a measure of how many days it takes a company to sell its inventory
Given Intel's inventory buildup and declining competitive edge, I find its current valuation multiples hard to justify. Specifically, the chart highlights a comparison of price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios between Intel, NVIDIA, and AMD. Focusing on non-GAAP earnings estimates for fiscal years FY1 through FY3, Intel is currently trading with the highest P/E ratio for FY1 at 87.7 almost twice the multiple of NVIDIA and AMD, which are at 46.29 and 46.25, respectively
That said, the outlook changes somewhat when considering the years further ahead. For instance, in FY2, NVIDIA’s expected P/E ratio rises to the highest at 32.77, compared to Intel's 20.02 and AMD's 29.02. However, I want to emphasize the substantial uncertainty in Intel's earnings forecasts. As shown in the next chart, the consensus estimates for Intel's earnings per share (EPS) in FY 2024 range from a low of $0.15 to a high of $0.31 (a more than twofold variation) and from a low of $0.65 to a high of $2.1 (an almost fourfold variation). Given such uncertainty, I believe investors should be cautious about relying too heavily on forward P/E ratios too far into the future.
Both Intel and NVIDIA have experienced significant fluctuations in DIO over the years. Notably, both companies saw a spike in 2023 due to the COVID pandemic, which disrupted global supply chains. As the disruption faded, both firms saw a recovery (ie, a reduction in DIO). the difference in recovery is striking. Intel's DIO peaked at over 150 days in 2023 and has since decreased to 125 days a modest reduction but still above its historical average of 114 days. In contrast, NVIDIA's DIO surged to over 200 days but has rapidly dropped to 76 days, which is not only below its four-year average of 97.9 days but also near its lowest level in four years.
I expect Intel to face increasing competitive pressure as rivals like NVIDIA and AMD roll out their next-generation chips, particularly NVIDIA’s Blackwell chips. I recommend potential investors keep a close eye on inventory data, as it can signal changes in competitive dynamics for the reasons discussed here.
In addition to inventory issues and valuation risks, Intel faces a few other specific challenges. A significant portion of Intel’s current product lineup is concentrated in certain segments, such as PCs, which I believe are nearing market saturation plus a large share of Intel’s revenue comes from China. Given the ongoing trade tensions between the US and China, this heavy reliance on China poses a considerable geopolitical risk. These factors may limit Intel’s ability to adapt to technological advancements and shifting geopolitical conditions
The potential for a QUALCOMM acquisition has emerged as a new major upside catalyst. While my outlook on Intel’s business remains pessimistic based on the latest inventory data, the acquisition possibility partially offsets these negatives, leading me to upgrade my rating from Sell to Hold or if you are risk taker like Me, load the dip
