Intel (INTC 5.59%) climbed 5.5% on Tuesday to close at $21.81, fueled by renewed political momentum and heightened investor interest. Trading volume surged to 131.5 million shares -- over 55% above the 3-month average -- as traders responded positively to reports of a White House meeting between Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan and President Donald Trump.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 1.4%, while the S&P 500 added 1.1%. Semiconductors broadly benefited from a combination of bullish sentiment, favorable inflation reports, and speculation around new U.S. industrial policy.
Despite continued competition from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM 0.91%), which rose 0.9%, and Nvidia (NVDA 0.58%), up 0.5%, Intel's political tailwind provided a unique catalyst. Still, investors are watching closely for signs of execution on its manufacturing roadmaps and commitments from major U.S. customers.
Tan's meeting with Trump marks a reversal in tone from just days earlier, when the president publicly called for Tan's resignation over alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Following Monday's sit-down, the two are expected to meet again next week, with analysts suggesting Intel may now be positioned as a strategic partner in Trump's push for expanded domestic chip manufacturing.
Market data sourced from Google Finance and Yahoo! Finance on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025.
