Intel heads into its April 23 earnings with rising investor expectations , but the key question remains whether AI-driven CPU demand can offset ongoing margin weakness . Revenue Stable, But Margins Under Pressure Intel is expected to deliver Q1 revenue around US$12.4 billion , slightly above the midpoint of its guidance range. However, the real concern lies in profitability: Gross margin guided at 34.5% , down from 39.2% a year ago EPS near breakeven (~US$0.00) vs US$0.13 last year This highlights continued pressure from costs, utilisation, and product mix , despite improving demand signals. AI CPUs: A Key Growth Driver Intel’s near-term bullish case centers on AI-related CPU demand , particularly its Xeon processors. A key development is its partnership with Alphabet , which reinforces: Intel’s role in AI data centre infrastructure Growing demand for AI inference and general-purpose computing Investors will watch c...
KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 31): Last-minute bargain hunting dampened losses but could not help lift the FBM KLCI out of the red today, after the index was dragged down by a slew of foreign sell-offs an hour before close.
The benchmark index eked minimal gains in early trade and traded mostly sideways throughout the day before the steep sell-off, hitting a low of 1,742.60 before closing at 1,747.92, down 0.02% or 0.43 points.
"Foreign funds sold off non-GLC shares such as BAT, Genting and Sime Darby," said Inter-Pacific Securities research head Pong Teng Siew. "The local funds have bought into GLCs like Tenaga, but there was more profit-taking after a few days of uptrend," he told theedgemarkets.com.
The local equity market also took cue from news about uncertainties on the highly anticipated tax cut bill in the US, which has a self-imposed deadline set on Wednesday, added Pong.
Wall Street pulled back from record-high territory on Monday, weighed down by a drop in drugmaker Merck and a report that US lawmakers are discussing gradual phase-in corporate tax cuts rather than reducing it all at once, Reuters reported.
Across Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index slipped 0.32%, South Korea's Kospi rose 0.86% while Japan's Nikkei 225 traded flattish to close 0.06 points lower.
Back home, Bursa Malaysia saw 420 gainers and 412 losers, while 461 counters traded unchanged. Some 3.15 billion shares were traded, for a total value of RM2.78 billion.
Source: The Edge
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