Shares of Intel (INTC 2.96%) closed down more than 5% today after the company hosted its analyst day yesterday. Investors were rattled by Intel's guidance for next year. PC client revenue in 2014 is expected to be down in the "mid-single digits," while data center revenues should grow in the "low to mid-teens." Intel's other architecture segment should see sales roughly flat, but operating losses in this segment are expected to widen. The net result is that total revenue should be around flat, while investors were expecting modest growth of around 1.4% in 2014.
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich also outlined two important strategic shifts that Intel will be pursuing. The company will expand its foundry business to a much broader range of customers. That contrasts with his predecessor's stance of only allowing select customers use Intel's manufacturing plants, while explicitly turning down any direct competitors interested in a foundry relationship. Qualcomm and Apple are the two most prominent potential customers here. Qualcomm is very much a direct competitor in mobile chips, although Apple is not. Intel will also be aggressively targeting tablets next year, expecting unit volumes to increase four times in 2014.
In this segment of Tech Teardown, Erin Kennedy discusses Intel's poetic aspirations with Evan Niu, CFA, our tech and telecom bureau chief.
