Topic: How To Invest

Wall Street Stock Forecaster Hotline – Friday, January 5, 2018

Article Excerpt

INTEL CORP., $44.74, Nasdaq symbol INTC, is the world’s leading computer chipmaker. Its products power 80% of all personal computers. The stock fell 4% this week in response to media reports that a design flaw in its computer chips could make it easier for online intruders to access sensitive data, including passwords. Software patches help fix those types of flaws. However, they can also slow the performance of computer chips by up to 30%. Intel has criticized the recent media reports, and it claims the security flaw affects many devices—not just its chips. However, the concerns could dampen demand for the company’s products, particularly from businesses and data centre operators. The situation has also made Intel the target of new class-action lawsuits. In 1994, it paid $475 million to settle charges related to a bug in its Pentium chips. It also paid $700 million to settle a similar lawsuit in 2011. However, those charges were small in relation to Intel’s market cap (the total…