The one-time Semiconductor giant's stock has been trading at levels that previously hadn’t been seen since 2015 as Intel has struggled to keep up with the AI chip movement. Shares of Intel are trading almost 70% below their 2021 highs, despite the company’s focus on returning chip manufacturing to the United States.

Intel’s stock price climbed as much as 9.2 percent Friday morning after a report said a company is looking to acquire the semiconductor giant whole.

Given the plunge in the stock price and its considerable assets, as well as brand name, an acquisition of Intel is certainly not farfetched. Intel hasn't said it is looking to be acquired, but the business is currently without a permanent CEO, and the stock has been in free fall, losing 60% of its value last year.

The S&P 500 jumped 1% on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, heading into the long weekend on a high note as prospects rebounded for additional interest-rate cuts in 2025.

The latest speculation comes after Bloomberg reported in late November that Qualcomm's ( QCOM) interest in potentially acquiring Intel waned due to complexities associated with a transaction. Qualcomm could still look at acquiring parts of Intel or rekindle its takeover interest at a later time.

Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) rose 4.4%  in premarket trading after some vague takeover speculation about the chipmaker. A report from SemiAccurate was circulating on Friday about a company looking to acquire Intel (NASDAQ:INTC).