We recently published a list of 10 Worst Performing Dow Stocks Year-to-Date. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) stands against other worst performing dow stocks year-to-date.

After the disastrous performance of 2022, the market has recovered better than expected and is on a growth trajectory. According to BlackRock’s Q4 2024 Equity Market Outlook, despite concerns about the economy, fundamentals have kept stocks resilient. Opportunities are seen in large-cap stocks, which may outperform both mega and small caps.

Volatility is viewed as normal and can create buying opportunities, especially when driven by market sentiment rather than fundamentals. Historically, market corrections of 10% or more are common but long-term investors have still enjoyed solid returns.

The report states that elections and Fed rate cuts may also impact the market, with rate cuts typically benefiting large-cap and high-quality stocks. Healthcare and consumer staples sectors have traditionally performed well after rate cuts, while cyclical sectors may improve as the economy recovers.

Finally, it mentioned that technology, which is usually a laggard in rate-cutting cycles, looks well-positioned this time due to innovations like AI. Long-term patience is essential in navigating volatility, as the market has proven resilient over decades through various crises.

READ ALSO 8 Best Communication Stocks To Buy According to Analysts and 10 Worst Performing Blue Chip Stocks in 2024

Evaluating Volatility and Valuations in Today’s Stock Market

In a CNBC interview, chief strategist and economist of Solus Alternative Asset, Dan Greenhaus discussed stock market volatility, with mega-cap earnings and the upcoming election contributing to potential fluctuations. He mentioned that the market is already experiencing some volatility, as reflected in the elevated VIX. Despite this, he highlighted that the economy is still growing, albeit at a slower pace, and earnings are rising, which is creating a generally favorable environment for equities.

Greenhaus also addressed concerns about market valuations and noted that while current multiples are high historically, determining what constitutes “rich” valuation levels can be difficult without hindsight.

Lastly, Greenhaus referenced a trading strategy of “buying high and selling higher,” suggesting that investors should remain engaged in the market even during record highs.

Our Methodology

For this article, we checked the year-to-date performance of all the Dow components and selected 10 stocks out of 30, that had the worst share price performance on a year-to-date basis on October 21. We listed the stocks in descending order of their share price performance. We also mentioned the hedge fund sentiment around each stock which was taken from Insider Monkey’s Q2 database of 912 elite hedge funds.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 75

Share Price Performance Year-to-Date: -52.22%

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) is a global technology leader known for designing and manufacturing a range of computer components, including microprocessors, chipsets, and networking devices. It has been instrumental in shaping the modern computing industry.

It is known for its contributions to both the consumer and enterprise markets, supplying processors to major tech companies, and maintaining a strong presence in the PC and server industries.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) tops our list of worst-performing Dow stocks as it faced a plethora of issues in 2024. It fell short of expectations despite progress in product and process developments in Q2. The company faced challenges, including new export restrictions and faster ramping of AI CPUs, which pressured margins.

Moreover, its struggling foundry business and a drop in PC chip sales were one of the main reasons for its decline. The company has faced heavy competition from Taiwan Semiconductor and reported significant losses, including a $2.8 billion operating loss in the second quarter, totaling $5.3 billion for the first half of the year.

Nevertheless, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) is planning to make some amends for the future and has planned a cost reduction initiative, including a 15% headcount reduction by 2025, reducing operating expenses to $17.5 billion in 2025, with further reductions expected in 2026. Capital expenditures will also decrease, with gross CapEx for 2024 targeted between $25 billion and $27 billion, and net spending between $11 billion and $13 billion. The dividend will be suspended to prioritize liquidity for long-term investments.

Here is what ClearBridge Large Cap Value said about Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) in its Q3 2024 investor letter:

“While the market environment clearly was a headwind in the third quarter, several of our large positions also faced challenging conditions, which negatively impacted results. In the information technology (IT) sector, Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) has come under additional pressure due to continued softness in the company’s core PC and server markets as well as concerns on the company’s longer-term competitive position. While Intel’s turnaround is not happening overnight, we are constructive on the outlook into 2025: the company’s product positioning should be much improved and it should be positioned to gain market share in a cyclical upswing in which it has strong earnings power. A somewhat adverse spending environment due to AI myopia has weighed on shares, but we still think the market is undershipping PCs and general servers following a COVID normalization period that saw demand get pulled ahead and then languish as companies froze IT budgets. The installed base is now getting older, and we expect a strong refresh cycle into next year. The delay is actually beneficial to Intel, whose product positioning will be all the more improved. While our investment case is not predicated on an M&A transaction, and we believe one is unlikely, the expression of interest in the company speaks to the value of the assets, which we think still trade at a meaningful discount to fair value.”

Overall, INTC ranks 1st on our list of worst performing dow stocks year-to-date. While we acknowledge the potential of INTC as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than INTC but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.