The Rundown Intel Scores $2B Investment from SoftBank, Home Depot Delivers Mixed Earnings
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Aug 19, 2025 A major highlight is SoftBank's $2 billion investment in Intel, which could reshape the tech landscape amid ongoing manufacturing hurdles. Home Depot showcases resilience, navigating mixed earnings while grappling with economic pressures affecting renovation spending. The podcast also tackles the challenges facing weight loss pharmaceutical research, including side effects and patient retention. To lighten things up, listeners are treated to stories from the first-ever Robot Olympics in China, where hilariously entertaining robotic competitions take center stage.
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SoftBank's Vote Of Confidence
- SoftBank's $2B purchase at $23 gives it ~2% of Intel and signals outside confidence in a comeback.
- Intel still trails TSMC in manufacturing and NVIDIA in AI chip design despite new capital.
Intel's Strategic But Struggling Role
- Intel uniquely both designs and manufactures chips, making it strategically important for US national security.
- But the company has fallen behind TSMC on manufacturing and NVIDIA on AI design, limiting its competitiveness.
Multiple Investors Eye Intel
- SoftBank has deep chip-industry experience, owning Arm and investing in NVIDIA, TSMC, and OpenAI.
- Reports that the U.S. government might take a stake in Intel add another potential source of capital and influence.