Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Intel Corporation (INTC) vs Ambiq Micro, Inc. (AMBQ) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | AMBQ | 16.1% revenue growth vs INTC's -1.1% |
| Quality / Margins | INTC | -0.1% net margin vs AMBQ's -52.1% |
| Stability / Safety | INTC | Beta 1.51 vs AMBQ's 2.81 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | INTC | +92.2% vs AMBQ's -20.3% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | INTC | -0.0% ROA vs AMBQ's -44.9%, ROIC -1.0% vs -104.0% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Intel is a semiconductor company that designs and manufactures processors and related technologies for computing devices. It generates revenue primarily from selling client computing chips (~50% of sales) and data center processors (~35%), with additional income from networking, memory, and autonomous driving solutions. The company's key advantage is its integrated design-and-manufacturing model—maintaining advanced chip fabrication facilities that few competitors can match.
Ambiq Micro designs ultra-low-power semiconductor chips for battery-powered IoT and wearable devices. It generates revenue primarily from selling its Apollo system-on-chip and Atomiq AI accelerator products — with technical support services as a secondary stream — through a global sales representative network. The company's key advantage is its proprietary subthreshold power-optimized technology that enables significantly longer battery life than conventional chips, creating a strong moat in power-sensitive edge AI applications.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
INTC leads in 4 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Valuation Metrics. 1 category is tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
INTC is the larger business by revenue, generating $53.9B annually — 708.1x AMBQ's $76M. INTC is the more profitable business, keeping -0.1% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to AMBQ's -52.1%.
| Metric | INTCIntel Corporation | AMBQAmbiq Micro, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $53.9B | $76M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $7.6B | — |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$37M | — |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $221M | — |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +34.8% | +31.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -2.4% | -53.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -0.1% | -52.1% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +0.4% | -33.1% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +2.8% | — |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +123.2% | — |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | INTCIntel Corporation | AMBQAmbiq Micro, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $227.8B | $560M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $260.1B | $500M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -558.26x | -9.81x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 90.62x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 39.70x | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 4.31x | 7.36x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.75x | 4.87x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
INTC delivers a -0.0% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-0 in annual profit, vs $-55 for AMBQ. AMBQ carries lower financial leverage with a 0.01x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to INTC's 0.37x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), AMBQ scores 5/9 vs INTC's 3/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | INTCIntel Corporation | AMBQAmbiq Micro, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -0.0% | -54.7% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -0.0% | -44.9% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -1.0% | -104.0% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -1.2% | -53.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.37x | 0.01x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $32.3B | -$60M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $14.3B | $61M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $46.6B | $966,000 |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 3.65x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AMBQ five years ago would be worth $7,968 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $7,829 for INTC. Over the past 12 months, INTC leads with a +92.2% total return vs AMBQ's -20.3%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors INTC at 23.0% vs AMBQ's -7.3% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | INTCIntel Corporation | AMBQAmbiq Micro, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +15.8% | +1.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +92.2% | -20.3% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +86.0% | -20.3% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -21.7% | -20.3% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +86.6% | -20.3% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +23.0% | -7.3% |
Risk & Volatility
INTC is the less volatile stock with a 1.51 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than AMBQ's 2.81 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. INTC currently trades 83.5% from its 52-week high vs AMBQ's 59.3% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | INTCIntel Corporation | AMBQAmbiq Micro, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.51x | 2.81x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $54.60 | $51.76 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $17.67 | $22.12 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +83.5% | +59.3% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 48.5 | 59.4 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 100.1M | 237K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates INTC as "Hold" and AMBQ as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 4.2% upside for AMBQ (target: $32) vs 2.7% for INTC (target: $47).
| Metric | INTCIntel Corporation | AMBQAmbiq Micro, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $46.82 | $32.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 83 | 1 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Corporation (INTC) | $59.4B | $52.9B | -11.0% |
| Ambiq Micro, Inc. (AMBQ) | $51M | $76M | +49.2% |
Intel Corporation's revenue grew from $59.4B (2016) to $52.9B (2025) — a -1.3% CAGR.
Chart 2Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Corporation (INTC) | 17.4% | -0.5% | -102.9% |
| Ambiq Micro, Inc. (AMBQ) | -49.5% | -52.1% | -5.4% |
Intel Corporation's net margin went from 17% (2016) to -1% (2025).
Chart 3P/E Ratio History — 7 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Corporation (INTC) | 23.2 | 125.6 | +441.4% |
Intel Corporation has traded in a 10x–126x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~-558x.
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Corporation (INTC) | 2.12 | -0.08 | -103.9% |
| Ambiq Micro, Inc. (AMBQ) | -1.85 | -3.13 | -69.2% |
Intel Corporation's EPS grew from $2.12 (2016) to $-0.08 (2025) — a NaN% CAGR.
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Intel Corporation generated $-5B FCF in 2025 (-154% vs 2021). Ambiq Micro, Inc. generated $-25M FCF in 2024 (+56% vs 2021).
INTC vs AMBQ: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is INTC or AMBQ a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Intel Corporation (INTC) a "Hold" — based on 83 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — INTC or AMBQ?
Over the past 5 years, Ambiq Micro, Inc. (AMBQ) delivered a total return of -20.3%, compared to -21.7% for Intel Corporation (INTC). A $10,000 investment in AMBQ five years ago would be worth approximately $8K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: INTC returned +86.6% versus AMBQ's -20.3%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — INTC or AMBQ?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Intel Corporation (INTC) is the lower-risk stock at 1.51β versus Ambiq Micro, Inc.'s 2.81β — meaning AMBQ is approximately 86% more volatile than INTC relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Ambiq Micro, Inc. (AMBQ) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 1% versus 37% for Intel Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — INTC or AMBQ?
Intel Corporation (INTC) is the more profitable company, earning -0.5% net margin versus -52.1% for Ambiq Micro, Inc. — meaning it keeps -0.5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: INTC leads at -4.0% versus -53.4% for AMBQ. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — INTC leads at 35.0%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Is INTC or AMBQ more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for AMBQ: 4.2% to $32.00.
06Which pays a better dividend — INTC or AMBQ?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
07Is INTC or AMBQ better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Intel Corporation (INTC) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding. Ambiq Micro, Inc. (AMBQ) carries a higher beta of 2.81 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (INTC: +86.6%, AMBQ: -20.3%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
08What are the main differences between INTC and AMBQ?
Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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