Weak quarter for Intel sends shivers through cooling chip stocks

Intel's recent quarterly earnings report, released on Thursday, has left chip stocks reeling. The semiconductor index experienced a decline in after-hours trading following Intel's announcement that it blamed near-term headwinds in the PC industry for its 18% drop in shares after-hours. This follows a 1.4% drop in the SOX index during regular trading hours due to Alphabet's earnings report.

Intel's factory explosion in Israel, which has resulted in a loss of around $600 million over the next two quarters, contributed to the company's poor performance. The semiconductor weakness in after-hours trading is primarily due to Intel's earnings report and negative sentiment spillover, according to Michael James, an equity sales trader at Rosenblatt Securities.

AMD and Broadcom also saw their stocks drop by 4% and 2%, respectively, in the volatile session. While the SOX has been a standout performer in 2026, surging more than 60%, its momentum has been tested in recent months due to tighter financing terms. Despite this, pre- and after-market trading can often exaggerate moves compared to those in the more liquid regular session, especially for stocks impacted by rivals' news.