Clearly, investors were expecting worse. After weathering a closing bell that saw its lowest stock price in six years, tech bellwether Intel
Industry watchers were fearful the company would follow in the footsteps of another chip maker, National Semiconductor
So, the chip sector appears to be hanging on. "Hanging on," however, doesn't exactly inspire great confidence. We've already questioned just how long it will take to see a recovery in the economy in general, and the PC market in particular. Intel's fortunes are bound and shackled to these dynamics, and there are enough other issues surrounding the company that investors need to adopt a cautious outlook.