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Intel Corp.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 22 January 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 lowered, 4 new, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth-quarter revenue down 4%: Q4 revenue was $13.7 billion, down 4% year-over-year. Source
  • Q4 EPS attributable to Intel: Q4 EPS attributable to Intel was $(0.12) on a GAAP basis and $0.15 on a non-GAAP basis. Source
  • Data center and AI revenue grew: DCAI revenue was $4.7 billion in Q4, up 9% year-over-year, and $16.9 billion for the full year, up 5%. Source
  • Foundry Q4 operating loss: Intel Foundry reported a Q4 operating loss of $(2,509) million; CCG operating income was $2,209 million and DCAI $1,250 million. Source
  • 18A in high-volume manufacturing: Intel 18A ramped to high-volume manufacturing in Arizona and Oregon, which management said reinforces its US leading-edge position. Source
  • Gross margin fell year-over-year: Q4 GAAP gross margin was 36.1%, down 3.1 points; non-GAAP gross margin was 37.9%, down 4.2 points, year-over-year. Source

“Our conviction in the essential role of CPUs in the AI era continues to grow,”

Lip-Bu Tan, Intel CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue Sourcefirst quarter 2026$11.7 billion to $12.7 billionNew
EPS attributable to Intel, diluted (GAAP) Sourcefirst quarter 2026$(0.21)New
EPS attributable to Intel (non-GAAP) Sourcefirst quarter 2026$0.00New
Operating expenses (GAAP) Sourcefull-year 2026approximately $18.2 billionLowered from $19.0 billion
Operating expenses (non-GAAP) Sourcefull-year 2026$16.0 billionKept
Non-GAAP tax rate Source202611%New

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance lowered: Full-year 2026 GAAP operating expenses are now approximately $18.2 billion, down from $19.0 billion in the prior release. Source
  • Guidance kept: Full-year 2026 non-GAAP operating expenses are kept at $16.0 billion. Source
  • New: Cindy Stoddard was named senior vice president and chief information officer, and Robin Colwell senior vice president of government affairs. Source
  • New: Data Center and AI businesses were centralized under Kevork Kechichian, executive vice president and general manager of the Data Center Group. Source
  • New: The $5.0 billion sale of Intel common stock to NVIDIA was completed; the prior release said NVIDIA agreed to invest that amount. Source

Fourth-quarter and full-year results

  • Fourth-quarter revenue down 4%: Q4 revenue was $13.7 billion, down 4% year-over-year. Source
  • Full-year revenue flat: Full-year revenue was $52.9 billion, flat year-over-year. Comparisons are not adjusted for the Altera deconsolidation effective September 12, 2025. Source
  • Q4 EPS attributable to Intel: Q4 EPS attributable to Intel was $(0.12) on a GAAP basis and $0.15 on a non-GAAP basis. Source
  • Full-year EPS attributable to Intel: Full-year EPS attributable to Intel was $(0.06) on a GAAP basis, against $(4.38) in 2024, and $0.42 non-GAAP. Source

Segments and business units

  • Client computing revenue fell: CCG revenue was $8.2 billion in Q4, down 7% year-over-year, and $32.2 billion for the full year, down 3%. Source
  • Data center and AI revenue grew: DCAI revenue was $4.7 billion in Q4, up 9% year-over-year, and $16.9 billion for the full year, up 5%. Source
  • Foundry revenue rose modestly: Intel Foundry revenue was $4.5 billion in Q4, up 4%, and $17.8 billion for the full year, up 3%. Source
  • Foundry Q4 operating loss: Intel Foundry reported a Q4 operating loss of $(2,509) million; CCG operating income was $2,209 million and DCAI $1,250 million. Source
  • All-other revenue fell 48%: All other revenue was $0.6 billion in Q4, down 48%, after Altera was deconsolidated effective September 12, 2025. Source

“The introduction of our first products on Intel 18A - the most advanced process technology developed and manufactured in the United States - marks an important milestone,”

Lip-Bu Tan, Intel CEO

Products and customers

  • First AI PC platform on 18A: Intel unveiled Core Ultra Series 3, its first AI PC platform built on the Intel 18A process, designed and manufactured in the United States. Source
  • Over 200 designs expected: Intel expects Core Ultra Series 3 to power more than 200 designs from OEMs across laptops, gaming handhelds, robotics and industrial edge devices. Source
  • Cisco edge AI collaboration: Intel and Cisco announced a collaboration on an integrated platform for distributed AI workloads. Source
  • Xeon 6 powers Cisco edge platform: Cisco Unified Edge, powered by Intel Xeon 6 SoC, brings compute, networking, storage and security closer to where data is generated. Source

Foundry and manufacturing

  • 18A in high-volume manufacturing: Intel 18A ramped to high-volume manufacturing in Arizona and Oregon, which management said reinforces its US leading-edge position. Source
  • High NA EUV progress with ASML: Intel Foundry and ASML demonstrated the technical viability of a lithography scanner for future High NA EUV volume manufacturing. Source

Costs, margins and tax rate

  • Gross margin fell year-over-year: Q4 GAAP gross margin was 36.1%, down 3.1 points; non-GAAP gross margin was 37.9%, down 4.2 points, year-over-year. Source
  • R&D and MG&A down 14%: Q4 R&D and MG&A was $4.4 billion GAAP and $4.0 billion non-GAAP, each down 14% year-over-year. Source
  • Restructuring charges fell sharply: Restructuring and other charges were $2.2 billion for 2025 versus $7.0 billion in 2024, and a $(30) million benefit in Q4. Source
  • Q4 operating margin by basis: Q4 operating margin was 4.2% GAAP and 8.8% non-GAAP; the non-GAAP margin was down 0.8 points year-over-year. Source
  • GAAP tax rate far above non-GAAP: GAAP tax rate was 198.5% in Q4 and 98.3% for the full year; the non-GAAP tax rate was 12.0% in both periods. Source

Cash, capital and shareholder returns

  • Q4 operating cash flow: The company generated $4.3 billion in cash from operations in Q4 and $9.7 billion for the full year. Source
  • Adjusted free cash flow improved: Adjusted free cash flow was $2.2 billion in Q4 versus $(1.5) billion a year earlier; full-year adjusted free cash flow was $(1.6) billion. Source
  • Gross capital spending lower: Gross capital expenditures were $4.0 billion in Q4 and $17.7 billion for 2025, against $25.1 billion in 2024. Source
  • Cash and investments at year-end: Cash and cash equivalents were $14.3 billion and short-term investments $23.2 billion at year-end, up from $8.2 billion and $13.8 billion. Source
  • NVIDIA stock sale completed: The $5.0 billion sale of Intel common stock to NVIDIA was completed, which management said further strengthens the balance sheet. Source
  • No dividends paid in 2025: The cash flow statement shows no dividend payment to stockholders in 2025, compared with $(1.6) billion in 2024. Source

Supply and demand

  • Demand fundamentals described as healthy: The CFO said demand fundamentals across core markets remain healthy, citing AI adoption and the importance of the x86 ecosystem. Source
  • Working to grow supply: Management said it is working aggressively to grow supply to meet customer demand. Source

Leadership and board

  • Stoddard and Colwell appointed: Cindy Stoddard was named senior vice president and chief information officer, and Robin Colwell senior vice president of government affairs. Source
  • Weckesser named marketing chief: Annie Shea Weckesser was appointed senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer. Source
  • Barratt joins board: Craig H. Barratt, Ph.D., was appointed as an independent member of the board of directors. Source
  • Data Center and AI centralized: Data Center and AI businesses were centralized under Kevork Kechichian, executive vice president and general manager of the Data Center Group. Source

Coming up, as management said on 22 January 2026

  • Core Ultra Series 3 adoption expected: Management expects Core Ultra Series 3 to be the most broadly adopted and globally available AI PC platform Intel has delivered. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Gross margin SourceGAAP 36.1% and non-GAAP 37.9% in Q4 2025
Data center revenue Source$4.7 billion in Q4 (up 9% YoY); $16.9 billion for the full year (up 5%)

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Available supply is expected to be at its lowest level in the first quarter of 2026, amid industry-wide supply shortages, according to the CFO. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.