Intel just did something it hasn’t done in a while: exceeded expectations. The chipmaker now expects to post a profitable year as early as 2025 or 2026, well ahead of its previous 2028 target.
The turnaround story centers on Q2 2026 results that caught Wall Street’s attention. Intel reported $16.1 billion in revenue, a 25% increase year-over-year, with its Data Center and AI segment doing most of the heavy lifting via a 59% surge.
The numbers behind the comeback
CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s playbook has two main chapters: foundry services and advanced AI CPU development.
Foundry revenue hit $5.4 billion in Q1 2026, a 16% year-over-year increase.
