Intel Announces Historic $15 Billion Stock Sale to Boost AI Chip Development
Intel Corporation marked a significant financial milestone on Monday, unveiling a $15 billion underwritten public offering of common stock. This is the first share sale since the company’s initial public offering in 1971. The Santa Clara-based chipmaker intends to use the proceeds to fuel next-generation AI chip development and expand its contract manufacturing foundry business.
This announcement follows Intel’s most robust quarterly performance in over a decade and a half. The company’s Q2 2026 revenue saw a 25% year-over-year increase, reaching $16.1 billion. The Data Center and AI segment alone witnessed a 59% rise, amounting to $6.3 billion. In 2026, Intel’s stock value almost tripled, hitting $101.65 per share, which resulted in a market cap of approximately $513 billion.
Several major Wall Street institutions, including JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Citigroup, are acting as joint lead underwriters for the deal. The deal also includes a 30-day option for underwriters to acquire an additional $2.25 billion in shares.
Intel’s CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, attributes the surge in CPU demand to the proliferation of AI agents and sees growth opportunities in physical AI, advanced packaging, and custom silicon. The company has also increased its 2026 capital expenditure forecast to over $20 billion and announced a separate €5 billion investment to bolster chip manufacturing capacity in Ireland.
Source: HNGN – Intel Plans $15 Billion Stock Sale to Fund AI Chip and Foundry Expansion