Intel (NASDAQ:INTC | INTC Price Prediction) shares are sliding 5% in Monday trading, pulling back to the $41 area. Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) is also in the red, falling 3% to $196 and change.
The pullback carries a sharp irony. Both stocks surged last Wednesday, March 25, after reports emerged that Intel and AMD plan to raise CPU prices by 10% to 15% due to AI-driven demand and tightening supply chains. Intel shares climbed 7.6% that day, and AMD shares gained 6.8%.
Today, that enthusiasm is reversing as geopolitical instability, macro headwinds, and profit-taking weigh on the broader semiconductor sector.
The iShares Semiconductor ETF (NYSEARCA:SOXX) is down 4% on the day; clearly, something is going on with this market sector. So, let’s dig into what’s driving INTC and AMD, and what investors should watch next.
Intel: The 18A Launch Looms Large
Intel Core Ultra Series 3 commercial PCs built on Intel’s 18A process node are set to launch tomorrow, March 31, with Dell among the first to deliver systems using the new chips. This is the most consequential product moment of CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s foundry-led turnaround strategy, and the market appears to be in “sell the news” mode heading into it.
Intel’s Q4 2025 earnings showed revenue of $13.67 billion and non-GAAP EPS of $0.15, both modest beats. The Datacenter and AI Group grew 15% sequentially in Q4 2025, driven by demand for Xeon 6 processors and custom ASICs. That is a genuine bright spot in an otherwise uneven picture.
The company’s foundry business remains a sticking point. Intel’s foundry unit posted an operating loss of $2.51 billion in Q4. Analysts maintain a “Reduce” consensus on INTC stock, with an average price target of $45.74. That target sits above today’s price, but the consensus direction signals continued skepticism about the pace of the foundry recovery.
Longer-term holders have reason to stay calm. Intel stock is up 81% over the past year and still carries a year-to-date gain of 11%, even after today’s drop. The one-month decline stands at 10%, suggesting some near-term turbulence that predates today’s session.
AMD: Strong Fundamentals, Sector Pressure
AMD stock’s pullback looks more like collateral damage than a company-specific story. Advanced Micro Devices reported Q4 2025 revenue of $10.27 billion and EPS of $1.53, both beating expectations. CEO Lisa Su entered 2026 saying the company has “strong momentum,” and the numbers back that up.
AMD has also expanded its partnership with Samsung for next-generation memory chips, positioning it well for AI workload demands. Analyst consensus on AMD shares sits at “Moderate Buy,” a meaningful contrast to the cautious view on Intel. The company’s data center trajectory is a core reason for that confidence.
That said, the risks are real. U.S. export controls on AMD’s MI308 GPUs to China resulted in $440 million in net charges in FY2025. Furthermore, Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM) has entered the data center CPU race, projecting $25 billion in revenue by 2031, adding another competitive layer. AMD shares are down 8% year-to-date, though the one-year gain of 92% indicates that the underlying momentum remains intact.
The Crossroads: Pricing Power vs. Macro Risk
The 10% to 15% CPU price hikes announced by both companies reflect genuine pricing power born from AI-driven supply constraints. For income-focused investors watching margin trajectories, that is a meaningful development. The risk is that higher prices slow enterprise adoption or accelerate the search for alternatives.
Today’s declines are driven more by broad risk-off positioning than by any company-specific bad news. For a deeper look at how these two stocks stack up heading into the rest of 2026, see our full breakdown at AMD vs. Intel: Which Stock Will Lead in 2026?
Investors will want to watch Intel’s 18A commercial launch reaction tomorrow closely. If early reviews of the Core Ultra Series 3 systems are positive, INTC stock could recover quickly.
If the launch disappoints, today’s slide may just be the opening act. AMD stock, meanwhile, could either benefit from an improvement in international relations or endure further collateral damage if the situation deteriorates over the coming weeks.
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