If you look at a long-term chart of Intel corp stock price history, you might think you’re looking at the EKG of a patient who’s lived through three different lifetimes. Most people see the recent struggles and assume it’s always been this way.
Honestly? They’re wrong.
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Intel didn't just participate in the tech revolution; for about three decades, Intel was the revolution. But the path from a $23.50 IPO in 1971 to the wild volatility we’ve seen in 2025 and early 2026 is a messy, fascinating saga of dominance, denial, and a very expensive attempted comeback.
The Early Years: When $1,000 Could Have Bought a Mansion
Intel went public on October 13, 1971. If you had the foresight—or just the incredible luck—to drop a grand into the IPO back then, your life would look very different today. After accounting for over a dozen stock splits, that initial investment would have compounded into millions.
The 1980s were relatively quiet. The stock puttered around between $0.11 and $0.75 (split-adjusted). It was the era of the 286 and 386 processors. Basically, Intel was building the foundation for what would become the "Intel Inside" era.
Then the 90s hit.
The 1990s were basically a vertical line for Intel. Between 1990 and 2000, the stock price surged by thousands of percentage points. The world was buying PCs, and every single one of them needed an Intel chip. By the time the Dot-com bubble peaked in August 2000, Intel hit an all-time high of around $75.
Then the bubble burst.
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Intel lost about 80% of its value in the ensuing crash. It wasn't just the market, though. The company entered what many call the "Lost Decade," where the stock price essentially flatlined between $15 and $25 for years. While Apple was reinventing the world with the iPhone, Intel was mostly focused on defending its server kingdom.
The 2020 Pivot and the Dark Days of 2024
The modern era of Intel corp stock price history is defined by a massive gap between ambition and execution.
In April 2021, the stock flirted with its old highs, reaching about $68. There was hope. Pat Gelsinger had returned as CEO with a plan to turn Intel into a "foundry"—meaning they would make chips for other people, not just themselves.
But the market is a "show me" kind of place.
By 2024, the wheels started coming off. Manufacturing delays, combined with the fact that Nvidia was eating everyone's lunch in the AI space, sent the stock into a tailspin. In 2024 alone, the stock plummeted nearly 60%. It was brutal. Investors were jumping ship as the company reported multi-billion dollar losses in its foundry division.
Key Stock Splits in Intel's History
If you're digging through old records, the split-adjusted price can be confusing. Here's a quick look at the big ones:
- July 2000: 2-for-1 split (The peak of the mania)
- April 1999: 2-for-1 split
- July 1997: 2-for-1 split
- June 1995: 2-for-1 split
- June 1993: 2-for-1 split
Basically, if you owned one share in early 1993, you had 32 shares by late 2000. That’s how the "real" price stayed in the double digits while the value of the holding skyrocketed.
The 2025 Resurrection: A Government-Backed Lifeline?
2025 was a year nobody saw coming.
After the 2024 disaster, Intel underwent a massive management shakeup. Lip-Bu Tan took the helm as CEO in early 2025, and the vibe shifted instantly. The stock, which had bottomed out around $17.66, began a vertical ascent.
Why? Because the big players stepped in.
- Nvidia invested $5 billion into Intel stock.
- SoftBank dropped $2 billion.
- The U.S. Government took a 10% stake via the CHIPS Act.
By the end of 2025, Intel stock had surged 84%. It was one of the best-performing stocks on the S&P 500, a complete 180-degree turn from the previous year.
Where We Stand in January 2026
As of January 13, 2026, the stock is trading around $47.29. It’s been a volatile start to the year. The "Panther Lake" chips—the first ones built on the new 18A process—are supposed to start shipping soon.
There's a lot of skepticism, though. Analysts at Citi and Morningstar have been vocal about the "turnaround risks." While the stock is up, the foundry business is still burning cash. In the third quarter of 2025, the foundry division lost $2.3 billion.
You've gotta wonder: is this a sustainable recovery or a government-subsidized "dead cat bounce"?
Intel is currently aiming for 60% gross margins by 2030. That is a massive hill to climb, especially with AMD currently holding over 24% of the data center market—a market Intel used to own 99% of.
Lessons from the Chart: Actionable Insights
If you're looking at Intel corp stock price history as a guide for your next move, there are a few realities you have to face.
- Valuation vs. Momentum: Intel is currently trading at a high P/E ratio because earnings were so low during the transition. Don't let the "low" share price fool you into thinking it's "cheap" on a fundamental basis.
- The Foundry Factor: The success of the stock is now tied to whether external customers (like Amazon or Apple) will actually use Intel's factories. Without a "whale" customer, the 2025 rally might lose steam.
- Geopolitical Hedge: Intel is the only company with major leading-edge fabs on U.S. soil. This makes the stock a play on national security as much as technology.
Next Steps for Investors: If you’re holding or considering INTC, your next move should be to monitor the 18A node yield reports coming out in the Q1 2026 earnings call (scheduled for late January). If yields are below 50%, the stock will likely give back much of its 2025 gains. Conversely, a confirmed high-volume customer announcement for the 14A process would be the catalyst to push the stock toward its 52-week high of $51.28.
Check the upcoming January 22, 2026, earnings report for specific guidance on capital expenditure—Intel needs to prove they can spend less while building more.