Intel Corporation (INTC): Will It Help You Retire Rich?

Now more than ever, a comfortable retirement depends on secure, stable investments. Unfortunately, the right stocks for retirement won’t just fall into your lap. As part of an ongoing series, today I’m looking at 10 measures to show whether Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) makes a great retirement-oriented stock.

As a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) for more than a decade, Intel’s history as a leader and innovator in the semiconductor space is indisputable. But as the technology industry shifts from PCs to mobile devices, Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) has struggled to keep up. Can the chip giant adapt and conquer the mobile market like it did the PC market decades ago? Below, we’ll revisit how Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) does on our 10-point scale.

The right stocks for retirees
With decades to go before you need to tap your investments, you can take greater risks, weighing the chance of big losses against the potential for mind-blowing returns. But as retirement approaches, you no longer have the luxury of waiting out a downturn.

Sure, you still want good returns, but you also need to manage your risk and protect yourself against bear markets, which can maul your finances at the worst possible time. The right stocks combine both of these elements in a single investment.

When scrutinizing a stock, retirees should look for:

Size. Most retirees would rather not take a flyer on unproven businesses. Bigger companies may lack their smaller counterparts’ growth potential, but they do offer greater security.

Consistency. While many investors look for fast-growing companies, conservative investors want to see steady, consistent gains in revenue, free cash flow, and other key metrics. Slow growth won’t make headlines, but it will help prevent the kind of ugly surprises that suddenly torpedo a stock’s share price.

Stock stability. Conservative retirement investors prefer investments that move less dramatically than typical stocks, and they particularly want to avoid big losses. These investments will give up some gains during bull markets, but they won’t fall as far or as fast during bear markets. Beta measures volatility, but we also want a track record of solid performance as well.

Valuation. No one can afford to pay too much for a stock, even if its prospects are good. Using normalized earnings multiples helps smooth out one-time effects, giving you a longer-term context.