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marketsAugust 6, 20262 min read

Intel: +357 Percent in 12 Months — Apple Deal Revives Old Empire

Intel was nearly bankrupt — until the U.S. government stepped in, Apple signed a foundry contract, and the stock went +357 percent.

Daniel Berg
Daniel Berg·Editor-in-Chief

Intel just pulled off the biggest comeback in chip history.

A year ago, Intel traded at $19. Today: over $95. +357 percent in 12 months.

The Story Behind It

Intel powered the world with processors for decades. Then came the fall: TSMC took over chip manufacturing, Apple switched to in-house chips, Nvidia dominated AI.

Until the U.S. government bought 10 percent of the company in August 2025. Then came new CEO Lip-Bu Tan. And then came the deal: Apple is working with Intel again.

President Trump posted last week: Apple has agreed to work with Intel to design and build its Chips in America. Intel will manufacture chips for Apple devices — using the new 18A process.

What It Means for You

If you put 1,000 euros into Intel a year ago, you would have 4,570 euros today.

But — Intel is no longer a safe bet. The stock shot from $19 to $95. Every mistake gets punished hard. HSBC analysts say the valuation is thin — trading at 120x estimated earnings.

Pros are buying anyway. Why? Because Intel is the only major U.S. company that can produce chips at TSMC levels — that is national security for America.

How Pros Are Reacting

Retail investors poured $706 million into Intel in the last 5 days. Bank of America raised its price target to $96: if the Apple deal fully ramps, it will bring $10 billion in annual revenue by 2030.

Intel beat the market by 10.84 percent yesterday.

First Steps for Beginners

  1. Understand what happened: Intel was nearly bankrupt. The U.S. government intervened because chips are national security.

  2. The risk is massive: +357 percent also means: every mistake gets brutally punished.

  3. Pros are playing long-term: Bank of America says: if Intel delivers Apple chips by 2030, revenue doubles. But 2030 is far away.

  4. Learn from my mistake: I watched Deutsche Telekom stock fall from 100 euros to 8 euros in 2000 because I followed hype. Intel today is not hype — it is a strategic comeback. But even comebacks fail.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.

Sources

BeInOptions Research

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Intel surge 357 percent?

Intel was nearly bankrupt in 2025. Then the U.S. government bought 10 percent, a new CEO took over, and Apple signed a foundry contract.

What does the Apple deal mean?

Apple will produce certain chips at Intel. Bank of America estimates: by 2030, this brings $10 billion in annual revenue.

Is Intel a safe investment now?

No. The stock trades at 120x estimated earnings. Any production mistake will be expensive.

Key Options Terms

A quick refresher on the terms that keep coming up in options stories like this one.

Implied Volatility (IV)
The volatility the market expects. Rising IV makes options more expensive; falling IV makes them cheaper. IV guide →
The Greeks
Delta, Gamma, Theta and Vega measure how an option reacts to price, time and volatility. Greeks explained →
Open Interest
The number of open contracts. Heavy open interest at a strike flags an important price level. Read the chain →
Premium
The price of an option. Sellers collect it; buyers pay it for the right to trade. Basics →
Exercise & Assignment
What happens at expiration when an in-the-money option is actually settled. Learn more →
Defined Risk
Strategies such as spreads where the maximum loss is known from the outset. Strategies →

Options & the News – Quick Answers

How do stories like this move option prices?

News mostly works through expected movement: when uncertainty rises, so does implied volatility and therefore premium – often regardless of direction.

Do I have to bet on direction to benefit?

No. Defined-risk strategies such as the iron condor or a covered call trade volatility and time value rather than an exact direction.

I am a beginner – where should I start?

Start with our beginners guide and the glossary before putting real capital to work.

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Daniel Berg

Author

Daniel Berg

Editor-in-Chief

Options Educator

20++ Years

Daniel Berg is an ordinary guy from a mid-sized German city. He spent over twenty years in sales at a mid-cap machinery company – finance was never his profession, it was his expensive lesson. In 2000 he put his first savings into Deutsche Telekom's "people's share", buying near €100 and watching it fall to €8. He burned more money on the Neuer Markt afterwards. Only in his mid-thirties did he start the boring, patient way – broad ETFs, patience, no hot tips. At BeInOptions, Daniel passes on exactly that lesson: no miracle returns, just plain-spoken education about options, risk and long-term investing. "I don't sell dreams. I explain the tools – and the mistakes I made myself."

Expertise:Long-Term InvestingOptions EducationRisk AwarenessETF PortfoliosBehavioral Finance
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results.