Wall Street Can't Get Enough of Semiconductor Stocks. Should You Buy Micron or Intel Right Now?

2 weeks ago 9

Chris Neiger, The Motley Fool

Tue, June 2, 2026 astatine 7:08 AM CDT 5 min read

Intel's (NASDAQ: INTC) shares person soared 489%, and Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) banal is up a shocking 869% implicit the past year. The artificial quality spending roar that's presently underway is fueling involvement successful these stocks, and some could payment from rising semiconductor request successful the coming years.

But which is the amended AI banal to bargain close now?

Will AI make the world's archetypal trillionaire? Our squad conscionable released a study connected the 1 little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the captious exertion Nvidia and Intel some need. Continue »

A idiosyncratic   looking astatine  charts.

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There's a batch to similar astir Micron banal close present

Let's statesman with Micron's fiscal 2026 second-quarter (ended Feb. 26) results, successful which gross spiked 196% to astir $24 billion, and the company's non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) net soared 682% to $12.20 per share.

Micron's representation processor concern is booming arsenic ample exertion companies ramp up AI information halfway spending. Memory chips typically person accelerated boom-and-bust cycles -- and it's inactive unclear however existent spot request volition play retired -- but absorption believes that artificial quality has "fundamentally recast representation arsenic a defining strategical plus successful the AI era."

One motion that the existent roar could past longer than accustomed is that a Micron lawsuit precocious signed a five-year representation declaration with the institution -- the archetypal ever of this magnitude for Micron.

Adding to Micron's semipermanent prospects is the information that representation chips could go an integral portion of robotics systems. The company's absorption believes this could go a maturation rhythm spanning the adjacent 2 decades arsenic robotics accelerate and becomes "one of the largest merchandise categories successful the exertion world," according to Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra.

Intel's banal has been a immense occurrence lately

Intel's banal has gained 480% implicit the past twelvemonth (as of this writing), making the institution an improbable occurrence with investors. I accidental improbable because, for years, the company's spot designs and foundry concern person been near successful the particulate by competitors.

The communicative astir Intel has shifted, mostly for 2 reasons: CPUs are becoming much fashionable for AI inference, and investors are hoping its spot manufacturing concern is acceptable for a resurgence.

I'll commencement with the manufacturing space because, portion Intel is winning immoderate contracts with caller customers, its foundry concern is inactive losing money. In Q1 2026, Intel's spot manufacturing conception posted a $2.4 cardinal loss, contempt income of $5.4 billion.

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