Shares of Intel (INTC) stock are up on Monday’s trading sessions following a reported sale of its stake in its Altera chips unit. Intel is selling a 51% stake in its Altera chips unit to Silver Lake, a tech-focused private equity firm. The deal values Altera at $8.75 billion and will leave Intel with a 49% stake.
Intel’s Altera programmable chip business brought over $1.5 billion in revenue last year, with an adjusted operating profit of $35 million. “Today’s announcement reflects our commitment to sharpening our focus, lowering our expense structure and strengthening our balance sheet,” Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan said Monday. Intel also said that Raghib Hussain will be CEO of Altera, effective May 5. Shedding assets, including Intel’s stake in Altera, is at the center of Tan’s strategy to streamline the chipmaker after predecessors failed to diversify beyond its mainstay PC and server chip business for years.
Intel (INTC) and Silver Lake Agree to Deal
Silver Lake and Intel expect the deal to close in the second half of this year. The report sent Intel (INTC) stock up 6% in recent trading. At press time, INTC is up over 3%, sitting around $20.57 a share. The chipmaker is set to report first-quarter results after the market closes on April 24.
Intel is also up after tech stocks broadly advanced for a second straight session following a U.S. decision to delay tariffs on key consumer electronics. The temporary relief sparked optimism across markets, sending shares like INTC up. Despite the market bounce, concerns remain elevated. John Canavan, lead U.S. analyst at Oxford Economics, said in a note that the absence of a consistent trade strategy continues to cloud investor sentiment, adding that volatility may stay high as markets brace for more uncertainty.
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On Monday, INTC is trading near the bottom of its 52-week range and below its 200-day simple moving average. CNN analysts aren’t convinced that this climb will last long, citing economic/tariff uncertainty and heightened competition in the tech space. Out of 44 analysts surveyed by CNN, 84% suggest holding onto the stock and not buying or selling.