Intel shares tumble after hours, hit by chip supply constraints, big cash burn

Intel's share price plummeted by nearly a quarter on Thursday as the company disclosed a significant decline in sales of PC processors. The stock tumble began following the release of Q3 results, which showcased some positive figures such as a 21 percent year-on-year revenue increase to $16.5 billion, driven by a 78 percent growth in datacenter and AI products, and gross margins of 43 percent.

However, these gains were overshadowed by a 5 percent year-over-year decline in revenue for client computing and physical AI products, which fell by 9 percent compared to the previous quarter.

Intel's CEO, Lip Bu Tan, acknowledged that the company is facing a slowdown in the PC market, attributing the decline to rising memory prices and availability, as well as increasing IT budget constraints. Tan predicted that the market for PC chips would contract by 12 percent next year and remain challenging until memory availability and prices normalize, a situation that could take years given the predicted memory shortages persisting until 2030 according to SK Hynix.

Despite the challenges, Tan attempted to reassure investors by highlighting Intel's focus on energy-efficient computing for AI infrastructure, claiming that this trend could revive demand for CPU chips. Tan argued that energy-efficient CPUs are more suitable for "finding" tasks in AI computing, while GPUs are better for "thinking" tasks. He also projected a massive increase in the total addressable market (TAM) for CPUs over the next five years, estimating it could reach as high as $200 billion.

During the earnings call, Intel executives admitted that the company may struggle to capitalize on the projected boom in server CPUs, as it continues to face supply shortages for key materials like silicon wafers. CFO Dave Zinsner declined to provide specific guidance on meeting datacenter product sales early in the company's next financial year, stating that demand for CPUs would remain strong throughout the year, but meeting customer requirements would be challenging in the first half.

Intel is attempting to address its production challenges by diversifying its fabrication process facilities and reallocating PC chip production capacity to datacenter products. While CEO Lip Bu Tan remains optimistic about the company's long-term prospects, citing significant strides in recent months, including workforce reduction and streamlined executive ranks, he admitted to being disappointed with the company's inability to meet strong customer demand in the recent quarter.

Intel's shares started the day at $92.96 but plummeted to $70.87 after-hours, marking a 23.7 percent decline.