Intel Q2 earnings beat forecasts, revenue $16.13 billion

Intel reported second-quarter financial results on Thursday, July 23, 2026, that significantly exceeded analysts' expectations. The semiconductor giant posted earnings per share of $0.42 on revenue of $16.13 billion, sharply beating the consensus forecast of $0.22 per share on $14.4 billion in revenue. The company also issued updated guidance for its third quarter, forecasting earnings per share of $0.38.

The strong performance highlighted a turnaround from the same quarter a year prior, which had seen a loss. Intel's stock, however, traded down 2.39% during the day on Thursday, closing at $100.23. The company’s shares have seen remarkable growth over the past year, rising approximately 178% year-to-date, but have retreated from a record closing high of $140.94 reached on June 22.

A key area of growth was the company’s Data Center and AI unit, which was forecast by analysts to generate $5.54 billion for the quarter. Chief Executive LipBu Tan has previously emphasized that the surge in demand for computing power driven by artificial intelligence workloads is a central driver of the company’s recovery. Analysts have noted that server CPU volumes are expected to continue growing at...