Intel stock crashes 27% as earnings call leaves investors furious

Intel Stock Crashes 27% as Earnings Call Leaves Investors Furious

Intel's stock collapsed 27% over five trading days following an earnings call that left investors and analysts deeply frustrated. The company dropped 30% in a single day, erasing gains from a year-long rally built on U.S. government investment and expectations that hyperscalers would use Intel's fabs at scale.

The stock now trades near $63 per share, close to where it stood in March before the optimism began. That represents a 55% decline from its $140 peak, undoing nearly all upside from the government-backed push to revive Intel's foundry business.

CEO Lip Bu Tan's performance on the earnings call drew particular criticism. Investors and analysts described him as sounding lost and unprepared. Nick Dorsey's post on the call circulated widely, stating he "actually can't believe how bad that Intel call was." Jim Cramer, typically measured in his critiques, said he was "furious" about Intel's presentation and results.

The frustration cuts deeper than typical earnings disappointment. Intel remains a $336 billion company, and observers expressed genuine frustration that the turnaround effort appears to be failing — not because they want Intel to lose, but because a healthy Intel matters to the broader semiconductor ecosystem. Tan faces significant pressure to articulate a credible path forward after a call that failed to reassure even sympathetic investors.