INTC
Intel Corporation
Technology · Semiconductors · United States · Stock
Score Breakdown
Scored for Speculative Opportunities profile
Sub-scores are 0–20 each; Model Score is weighted by your selected investment goal. How it works →
Why Ranked Here
- The near-elimination of net losses from FY2024 to FY2025 and stable recent quarterly revenues contributed positively to the composite score, particularly in the growth and momentum factors.
- However, persistently negative profitability across all three key metrics — net margin, operating margin, and return on assets — resulted in the lowest possible profitability score, heavily weighing down the total.
- The absence of any dividend payment and a zero theme score further suppressed the composite, resulting in a total score that places Intel in the Monitor Only category with a High risk rating.
Why Not Higher
- All profitability metrics remain negative in FY2025, and the model assigns the lowest possible profitability score when net margin, operating margin, and return on assets are all below zero.
- Volatile swings in operating income — including a return to -$3,136,000,000 in 2026Q1 after two quarters of positive operating income — and zero dividend payments limit confidence in a sustained recovery.
Data Confidence
10 / 10
Very High — full data coverage
Why This Score
Grounded in figures from this company's SEC EDGAR filings — not a restatement of the score itself.
Revenue declined marginally from FY2024 to FY2025, falling -0.5% to $52,853,000,000. However, net income improved dramatically from -$18,756,000,000 in FY2024 to -$267,000,000 in FY2025, a +98.6% improvement, with diluted EPS similarly recovering from -$4.38 in FY2024 to -$0.06 in FY2025.
The model rewarded the near-elimination of net losses year-over-year while penalizing the slight top-line contraction, producing a mid-range growth score that reflects meaningful earnings recovery offset by flat revenue.
In FY2025, Intel reported a net margin of -0.5%, an operating margin of -4.2%, and a return on assets of -0.1%, all of which remain negative.
The model assigns the lowest possible profitability score because all three key profitability metrics are negative in FY2025, indicating the company has not yet returned to generating profits at the net, operating, or asset-return level.
In FY2025, Intel reported a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41 and total assets of $211,429,000,000.
The relatively modest debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41 in FY2025 suggests a conservative leverage profile, which the model rewarded with a mid-range financial health score; the large total asset base further supports balance sheet scale.
Quarterly revenue showed a broadly stable-to-rising trend across the last four reported quarters: $12,859,000,000 in 2025Q2, $13,653,000,000 in 2025Q3, $13,674,000,000 in 2025Q4, and $13,577,000,000 in 2026Q1. Operating income turned positive in 2025Q3 ($683,000,000) and 2025Q4 ($580,000,000) after a deep loss of -$3,176,000,000 in 2025Q2, though it returned to -$3,136,000,000 in 2026Q1.
The model appears to have rewarded the strong sequential revenue stabilization and the mid-period recovery in operating income, producing a near-top momentum score despite the volatile swings in net income and operating income across the four quarters.
The dividend payout ratio in FY2025 was -0.0%, reflecting that no meaningful dividend was paid relative to earnings.
The model assigns the lowest possible dividend score because the payout ratio indicates effectively no dividend distribution in FY2025, which the model treats as an absence of shareholder income return through dividends.
Intel is assigned to the macro themes of Semiconductors and Supply Chain Reshoring.
Although Intel is assigned to two currently tracked macro themes, this assignment did not translate into a positive theme score under the model's current methodology.
Research Summary
AI-generated analysis reflects data and conditions as of the report date shown above. Verify any specific figures through primary sources before acting on this analysis.
Intel posted nearly flat revenue of $52,853,000,000 in FY2025, a marginal -0.5% decline year-over-year, yet achieved a dramatic earnings recovery as net losses narrowed from -$18,756,000,000 in FY2024 to just -$267,000,000 in FY2025. Despite this improvement, all key profitability metrics remain negative, with a net margin of -0.5%, operating margin of -4.2%, and return on assets of -0.1%, keeping the company in unprofitable territory. On the positive side, quarterly revenues have stabilized in the $13.5–$13.7 billion range in recent quarters, and the balance sheet carries a conservative debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41 against a large total asset base of $211,429,000,000. Overall, the company presents a mixed picture of operational recovery in progress but not yet complete, earning a High risk rating and a Monitor Only label.
Plain English
Intel is losing less money than it was a year ago — its net loss shrank from nearly $19 billion to just $267 million — but it's still not profitable, and its quarterly operating income has been swinging wildly between gains and big losses, so it's a company to watch rather than act on right now.
Bull Case vs. Bear Case
Bull Case
- Net losses narrowed dramatically from -$18,756,000,000 in FY2024 to -$267,000,000 in FY2025, a +98.6% improvement, signaling meaningful progress toward profitability.
- Quarterly revenues have broadly stabilized and trended upward, moving from $12,859,000,000 in 2025Q2 to $13,674,000,000 in 2025Q4, suggesting demand is holding steady.
- A conservative debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41 and a total asset base of $211,429,000,000 provide a solid financial foundation that limits near-term solvency risk.
Bear Case
- All three core profitability metrics remain negative in FY2025 — net margin of -0.5%, operating margin of -4.2%, and return on assets of -0.1% — meaning the company has not yet returned to generating profits.
- Operating income swung sharply from -$3,176,000,000 in 2025Q2 to positive territory in 2025Q3 and 2025Q4, then plunged back to -$3,136,000,000 in 2026Q1, highlighting highly volatile and unreliable earnings.
- No dividend was paid in FY2025, with a payout ratio of -0.0%, meaning shareholders receive no income return while the company remains unprofitable.
What Could Change the Picture
Bullish Triggers
- A sustained return to positive operating income across multiple consecutive quarters — beyond the brief recovery seen in 2025Q3 and 2025Q4 — would signal that the earnings turnaround is durable.
- A return to positive net margin and operating margin would confirm that the dramatic reduction in net losses seen from FY2024 to FY2025 has translated into genuine profitability.
Bearish Triggers
- If quarterly revenues reverse the recent stabilization trend and begin declining from the $13.5–$13.7 billion range, it would undermine the momentum case and raise concerns about top-line deterioration.
- A significant increase in the debt-to-equity ratio from its current 0.41 level would erode the financial health advantage that currently provides some balance sheet stability.
Risk Profile
High RiskIntel's balance sheet shows a relatively conservative debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41 and a large total asset base of $211,429,000,000, which limits immediate financial distress risk. However, operating income has swung sharply between deep losses and modest gains across recent quarters, with a return to -$3,136,000,000 in 2026Q1, reflecting significant operational volatility that justifies the High risk rating.
This report is for educational and research purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice — always conduct your own due diligence before making investment decisions.