Intel rises as Amazon deal boosts struggling foundry unit's prospects
Updates shares in paragraph 1, adds background in paragraph 2, market cap addition in paragraph 5, analyst comment in paragraph 9
By Deborah Mary Sophia and Arsheeya Bajwa
Sept 17 (Reuters) -Intel shares jumped almost 4% in early trading on Tuesday, as a chip-making deal with Amazon's cloud business gave a major stamp of approval to its money-losingcontract manufacturing business.
After a near 60% slump in Intel's shares this year,the deal provides some respite to strained investors as the once-leading chipmaker bets its future on a costly turnaround hinging onits foundry unit.
Intel INTC.O will build custom AI chips for Amazon Web Services (AWS) as part of the multibillion-dollar deal, expanding a years-long partnership betweenthe companies.
"The deal provides Intel with some credibility as it looks to gain traction with new external customers. In addition, it will help Intel sell itself as a supplier of custom AI silicon chips," said Angelo Zino, senior equity analyst at CFRA Research.
Intel is on track to add more than $3 billion to its market value, if gains hold. It fellbelow $100 billion for the first time in three decades this year.
The company missing out on AI-linked demand is partly to blame for the stock lagging far behind competitors like Nvidia NVDA.O and TSMC TSM.O, the world's largest contract chip manufacturer.
AWS AMZN.O is among the first major customers Intel has announced a definitive deal with. It had said in February Microsoft MSFT.O would use its services to manufacture a custom computing chip.
While a significant step forward, the deal alone is not enough to drag Intel out of its slump, analysts said.Intel would need to manufacture chips for the likes of Nvidia and AMD AMD.O, both TSMC's customers, in order to fully establish itself, said Hans Mosesmann, an analyst at Rosenblatt Securities.
Intel will also pause fab projects in Poland and Germany for abouttwo years, raising doubts about the nearly 10 billion euros ($11.14 billion) in subsidies from Germany for its two plants in the country.
"The move ... should help to boost cash flow, even if the focus on U.S.-based fabs is unlikely to go down well in the EU. It will no doubt gain plaudits in Washington though and help Intel preserve important relationships," said RussMould, investment director at AJ Bell.
($1 = 0.8978 euros)
Intel's costly turnaround saps cash flow https://reut.rs/4dTdfMf
Intel lags S&P 500 and Philadelphia Semiconductor Index https://tmsnrt.rs/47wPebK
Reporting by Deborah Sophia and Arsheeya Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Devika Syamnath
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