Another U.S. chip company is receiving more support from the government, and that could be good for Intel.
Shares of Intel (INTC 3.12%) gained in Monday’s trading. The company’s share price closed out the day up 3.1%, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.
While there wasn’t any business-specific developments affecting Intel today, the stock did get a boost from news that another U.S. semiconductor company was receiving some significant government subsidies. Texas Instruments published a press release announcing that it would receive $1.6 billion in new funding through the CHIPS Act to develop semiconductor plants in Texas and Utah.
The company also said that it anticipates receiving between $6 billion and $8 billion in tax credits.
The U.S. continues to bet on domestic chip production
Intel stock has been hit hard lately due to poor business performance and uncertainty on the horizon. The company’s share price is down 57% year to date, and investors have been looking for any positive developments that could help trigger a rebound for the semiconductor stock.
With news today that Texas Instruments would be receiving a new investment distribution as part of the CHIPS and Science Act, investors were seeing signs that the U.S. government will continue to support the development of its domestic chip industry.
In particular, the funding for Texas Instruments signals that the U.S. is still focused on building up domestic chip fabrication capabilities. The kinds of semiconductors that Texas Instruments manufactures are much less advanced than the types made by fab leaders including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Samsung, and Intel, but the sizable new funding through the CHIPS Act shows that the country is taking a diversified approach to industry funding.
Can the fab business power a rebound for Intel?
While many companies design their own chips, most semiconductor manufacturing is done by just a handful of the companies. TSMC in particular dominates the contract chip fabrication market, and its leadership is even more pronounced when it comes to advanced semiconductors used for artificial intelligence and other advanced applications.
As a result, Taiwan is currently the epicenter for global chip production. But investors and analysts are worried that China could invade the country or otherwise exercise greater control over it.
Of the $39 billion apportioned through the CHIPS Act to bolster domestic chip fabrication, Intel has been by far the biggest recipient, receiving $8.5 billion in funding and additional loans.
The company is still going through a massive restructuring and will be laying off 15% of its global workforce. Providing third-party fabrication services could eventually be a major performance driver for Intel, but the company has a lot of proving to do — and it will take years for the fruits of this strategy to pay off.
Keith Noonan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and Texas Instruments. The Motley Fool recommends Intel and recommends the following options: long January 2025 $45 calls on Intel and short August 2024 $35 calls on Intel. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
