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Intel shares have stormed higher over the last five days, gaining 25% as of early Tuesday while semiconductor companies continue benefiting from the artificial intelligence boom. The move puts the company squarely inside the latest wave of enthusiasm surrounding AI infrastructure and agents.

The rally has unfolded as interest in agentic AI spreads across enterprise and consumer markets. For Intel, that interest is translating into renewed attention on central processing units, a category that had once been overshadowed by graphics processing units.

Last week, Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan addressed the shift during an appearance at the AI Infra Summit. Tan said CPUs are in high demand because of reinforcement learning, agentic AI, system orchestration, and their usefulness for general computing purposes.

CPUs have become critical components in AI data centers after initially being viewed as secondary to GPUs. Graphics chips captured attention because they train and run the AI models at the heart of the industry’s expansion.

The arrival of AI agents has raised the importance of CPUs to a new level. While GPUs run the models powering those agents, CPUs enable the agents to carry out the practical tasks that users request.

Those tasks can include navigating websites and shopping online, according to the source. That division of labor gives CPUs an important place beside GPUs as companies develop agents for enterprise and consumer applications.

Meta’s new Muse AI agent provides a prominent example of growing demand. Market intelligence firm Sensor Tower reported that Muse recorded 2.5 million downloads after launching on Sept. 8.

The rapid adoption of Muse has arrived as investors once again embrace technology companies tied to artificial intelligence. Intel’s sharp five day advance reflects that broader enthusiasm, along with the market’s focus on rising CPU demand.

Intel could also raise CPU prices by 10%, according to a report from Digitimes. The reported increase would come as CPUs gain importance within systems built to support agentic AI and the tasks those agents perform.

At the same time, Intel remains in the middle of a broader turnaround. The company is seeking to restore its position as a leader in advanced semiconductors while expanding beyond the chips it produces for its own business.

A central part of that effort is Intel’s push to build a chip manufacturing operation serving outside customers. That business would compete directly with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, a major force in semiconductor fabrication.

Several reported developments have placed Intel’s manufacturing ambitions under a brighter spotlight. In June, The Information reported that Google selected Intel to manufacture its custom Tensor Processing Units.

Nvidia is also considering Intel as a backup chip manufacturer, according to the source. Such an arrangement would add another dimension to Intel’s position in an industry where Nvidia has become closely associated with the AI boom.

More recently, Reuters reported that SK Hynix is discussing a potential manufacturing arrangement with Intel. The talks involve the semiconductor fabricator producing memory chips, adding another possible customer relationship to Intel’s expanding manufacturing strategy.

Intel’s stock performance has already surpassed some of the semiconductor industry’s largest names over selected periods. During the last five months, shares of the Santa Clara, California, company climbed 159%, easily beating Nvidia’s 49% increase.

AMD performed even better over that five month span, rising 180%. The comparison shows that Intel’s powerful advance has been part of a wider semiconductor surge, even as the company has outpaced Nvidia during that specific period.

Over the last 12 months, however, Intel takes the lead among the three companies. Its shares have soared 314%, compared with a 293% gain for AMD and a 29% increase for Nvidia.

The figures leave Intel ahead in both the recent five day sprint and the longer 12 month race. Rising CPU demand, growing enthusiasm for AI agents, reported pricing plans, and manufacturing expansion have all moved into focus as investors reassess the company’s position.

DISCLAIMER: GoldInvestors.news is not a registered investment, legal or tax advisor or broker/dealer. All investment/financial opinions expressed by GoldInvestors.news are from the personal research and experience of the owner of the site and are intended as educational material. Although best efforts are made to ensure that all information is accurate and up to date, occasionally unintended errors and misprints may occur.