Here Are 4 Reasons Why Intel Stock Plunged 16% Last Friday
Last Friday on 24 July 2020, Intel closed 16.24% down.
Although I do not own any Intel stock, I was curious why it fell after releasing their Q2 2020 results.
Just a while ago, I saw the news that after 15 years of partnership, Apple decided to break up with Intel and stop using its chips for Macs.
Here are four reasons why I think Intel fell by more than 16%:
1. Delay of Their 7 Nanometer Chips by About Six Months
Their rival AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) has already started selling their 7 nm chips.
This means that technologically, Intel is lagging behind AMD.
In the fast-paced technological environment, this delay is big news. After all, Intel’s competitive advantage will depend a lot on its technological advances.
See also: Our free investing telegram channel. We post daily.
2. Expects Total Revenue in 3rd Quarter To Drop
Intel is a huge company.
One downside to being a huge company is that it is hard to maintain a high growth rate.
For Intel, they expect total revenues in the 3rd quarter of 2020 to reduce 5.16% year on year to $18.2 billion.
3. Gross Margin Dropped From 59.8% to 53.3%
Intel gross margin was 59.8% in 2Q 2019, now it has dropped to 53.3%. That is a sharp drop.
A drop in gross margin can be a sign of a drop in terms of its pricing power and potential competitive advantage.
Definitely not a good sign if it persists.
Also read: “Patience Produce Uncommon Profits” – Why Patience in Investing is Vital.
4. Exposure to China
Intel has exposure to China.
Recently US-China tensions are on the rise again. And that is not good news to add to Intel’s recent woes.
China is in fact Intel’s largest market. In fiscal 2019, they generated 28% of its revenue or about $20 billion from China.
Intel’s largest facilities are also located in Chengdu and Dalian.
In Conclusion
I think that Intel might be losing its long-term competitiveness in the market. In their industry, technological advantages are also an important source of competitive advantage. Being big and having economies of scale is no longer enough.
As to whether the company is currently undervalued or not, we will need to do our own valuation assumptions on that and decide.
See also: My 5 Key Takeaway From Temasek Portfolio Value in 2020.
Disclaimer:
The information provided is for educational and general information purposes only and is not intended to be personalized investment or financial advice. We make no promises as to the accuracy or usefulness of the information we present.
Important: Please read our full disclaimer.

Chris Lee Susanto
Founder of the value investing blog Re-ThinkWealth.com (if you type “value investing blog” in Google, his blog is likely the first one). Being a full-time investor himself, Chris knows that he did not beat the S&P 500 return so far (as of the time of this writing) by listening to stock tips. So, when he teaches, he also doesn’t believe in giving stock tips as it is not sustainable for you in the long run. He will teach you how to make your own intelligent decisions with his 4M1S framework. Feel free to also join his free investment telegram channel here.
Last Friday on 24 July 2020, Intel closed 16.24% down.
Although I do not own any Intel stock, I was curious why it fell after releasing their Q2 2020 results.
Just a while ago, I saw the news that after 15 years of partnership, Apple decided to break up with Intel and stop using its chips for Macs.
Here are four reasons why I think Intel fell by more than 16%:
1. Delay of Their 7 Nanometer Chips by About Six Months
Their rival AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) has already started selling their 7 nm chips.
This means that technologically, Intel is lagging behind AMD.
In the fast-paced technological environment, this delay is big news. After all, Intel’s competitive advantage will depend a lot on its technological advances.
See also: Our free investing telegram channel. We post daily.
2. Expects Total Revenue in 3rd Quarter To Drop
Intel is a huge company.
One downside to being a huge company is that it is hard to maintain a high growth rate.
For Intel, they expect total revenues in the 3rd quarter of 2020 to reduce 5.16% year on year to $18.2 billion.
3. Gross Margin Dropped From 59.8% to 53.3%
Intel gross margin was 59.8% in 2Q 2019, now it has dropped to 53.3%. That is a sharp drop.
A drop in gross margin can be a sign of a drop in terms of its pricing power and potential competitive advantage.
Definitely not a good sign if it persists.
Also read: “Patience Produce Uncommon Profits” – Why Patience in Investing is Vital.
4. Exposure to China
Intel has exposure to China.
Recently US-China tensions are on the rise again. And that is not good news to add to Intel’s recent woes.
China is in fact Intel’s largest market. In fiscal 2019, they generated 28% of its revenue or about $20 billion from China.
Intel’s largest facilities are also located in Chengdu and Dalian.
In Conclusion
I think that Intel might be losing its long-term competitiveness in the market. In their industry, technological advantages are also an important source of competitive advantage. Being big and having economies of scale is no longer enough.
As to whether the company is currently undervalued or not, we will need to do our own valuation assumptions on that and decide.
See also: My 5 Key Takeaway From Temasek Portfolio Value in 2020.
Disclaimer:
The information provided is for educational and general information purposes only and is not intended to be personalized investment or financial advice. We make no promises as to the accuracy or usefulness of the information we present.
Important: Please read our full disclaimer.
Especially For Ambitious Professionals and Business Owners
- Our Telegram Channel – If you’d like to hear from us daily on stocks, business, economy, and value investing knowledge, please join our free telegram channel here.
- Our Value Investing Mentorship Program – We specialize in coaching (1-on-1) ambitious professionals and business owners looking to learn how to invest in stocks safely and sustainably. Learn more about mentorship with Chris here.
Read also now:
My Week 5 Summary of Yale University Financial Markets Course: Derivatives, Futures, Forwards and Options Market
Introduction to Derivatives, Futures, Forwards, and Options market from Professor Robert Shiller The derivatives market is a market for securities with a price that is dependent upon or derived from one or more underlying assets. Examples of Derivates market are...
My Week 4 Summary of Yale University Financial Markets Course part 2: Regulations of Companies
Introduction to Regulation and Enterprise from Professor Robert Shiller Regulatory bodies US government set up Picture source: Google In 1968, the US government set up Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie May) and in 1970, the US government set up Federal...
My Week 4 Summary of Yale University Financial Markets Course part 1: Real Estate
Introduction to Real Estate from Professor Robert Shiller Picture source: Google Real Estate is one of the most important classes of asset in the world and it is generally privately held in most countries. With the exception of China, whereby the government...
Keryx Biopharmaceuticals could be an Interesting Biotech Stock Play
Keryx Biopharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: KERX) is essentially a bio-pharmaceutical company focused on the research, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products geared towards patients with kidney disease and their healthcare providers. High volatility c...
Do You Know What Is Private Equity?
Differences Between Public Firm And Private Firm In Terms Of Buying Of Their Equity Stake "Equity" is another word that means the same as "stock"- which means that when you own it, you are owning a percentage of the company (the percentage of how much of the company...
4 Secrets For Thinking Positively
Humans are emotional creatures and most of the time, we cannot control our emotions when we feel sad or happy. However, we can train our mind to think good thoughts. When we control what we think, we can control what we feel. Think with the end in mind - Amidst the...
My Week 3 Summary of Yale University Financial Markets Course: Theory of Debt
In this module, Professor Shiller discusses the theory of debt and its proper role. He also covers corporate stocks. A naïve view of what stocks are is that it is some certificate that people buy so that the price can go up. That is not what stocks are. Stocks...
The Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rate: What Does It Mean For Us?
After almost a decade, The Federal Reserve raises a higher interest rate for the first time. The Federal Open Market Committee unanimously voted to set the new target range for the federal funds rate at 0.25 percent to 0.5 percent, up from zero to 0.25 percent. Policy...
Will The Fed Finally Raise Interest Rate on 16 Dec 2015?
The expectation was based on Chair Janet Yellen's oft-repeated stance that she'd like to see rate rises before the end of 2015. The last time the United States Federal Reserve raised their interest rates was back in 2006, a decade ago. With shares and commodity...
Here Is Everything You Need To Know About The Singapore Savings Bonds
What Are Bonds Bonds are one of the methods for corporations and governments to raise funds. It is a form of borrowing whereby we lend money to the government or corporations and we earn interest on it. We are able to redeem the principal amount but normally there is...
Seven Steps For Starting A Conversation
The seven steps for starting a conversation at a party Give a sincere smile and say Hello Provide a short introduction of who you are and give a firm handshake Listen closely to the person's name - Ask them to repeat it if you did not hear it clearly the first time...
My Week 2 Summary of Yale University Financial Markets Course: The History and Real Impact of Behavioral Finance
The History and The Real Impact of Behavioural Finance People are complex and our financial institutions are designed for real people. This study of behavioural finance started because of the revolution of neuroscience and the fact that the human brain is a...







