Intel slashes dividend 🤯

Intel has reduced its quarterly dividend by over 65%, from 36.5 cents to 12.5 cents. The recent dividend reduction is the first time the company has cut its dividend since 2000.

The tech giant has historically been a solid dividend stock, with the payout steadily increasing. The reduction comes as Intel looks to adopt a more disciplined approach to capital management and allocation.

📉 The stock has also been underperforming, with shares down 7% YTD, while the sector overall is having a strong start to the year:

• 🤑 $SMH “VanEck Semiconductor ETF” is up 15%+ YTD

• 📈 $NVDA “Nvidia” is up 60%+ YTD.

• 💰 $AMD “Advanced Micro Devices” is up 20%+ YTD

• 💸 $TSM “Taiwan Semiconductor” is up 15%+ YTD

Big Picture: As a pioneer in the semiconductor industry, Intel has been facing significant challenges in recent years. Over the past few years, they’ve lost market share to competitors such as AMD and NVIDIA, and cut ties with Apple, one of its largest customers, significantly affecting their revenue and reputation.

Intel has also struggled to move beyond its traditional markets and into new growth areas.

While significant challenges are still ahead, Intel has a strong track record of innovation and a deep pool of talent and resources to draw from. With the right strategy and execution, many believe that Intel can turn things around and emerge as a stronger and more competitive company in the coming years, but what happens next remains to be seen.

Apple's Game-Changing Innovation 👩‍⚕️

The tech giant is reportedly making strides in developing a non-invasive glucose monitoring system for its smartwatch. The technology is expected to help diabetics track their glucose levels without needing to prick their fingers for blood tests.

According to reports, Apple has been working on this technology for more than a decade, dating back to the Steve Jobs era. In fact, the technology has its roots in 2010, when Jobs bought out RareLight, a small startup that crafted ideas for non-invasive blood glucose monitoring.

The tech is still in the prototype stage, and there's no word on when it'll be available for the public.

Big Picture: The Apple Watch has been a significant player in the wearable tech space, with features like heart rate monitoring, fitness tracking, and women's health tracking. The new development of a no-prick blood glucose monitor could be a game-changer for millions of diabetics, making the Apple Watch an even more valuable tool for health management.

The potential to track blood glucose levels non-invasively is an exciting development, and Apple's move to pursue this technology could have a significant impact on the healthcare industry.

Top Discussion This Week 🎙

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🗞️ What else you might’ve missed:

• Meta announces new AI language model.

• Amazon closes the acquisition of One Medical.

• Netflix cuts subscription prices in 30+ countries.

• Canada's inflation slowed more than expected in January.

• Mercedes partners with Google on Maps and YouTube integration.

• U.S. inflation jumps higher than expected again.