INTEL CORP vs United Microelectronics Corporation, two Semiconductors stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Two foundries, two margin stories, one direction apart: UMC earns a real 22% operating margin at the trailing edge while Intel posts negative 23.1% attempting the leading edge. UMC's problem is a multiple, 213 times earnings compressed by a pricing trough, with free cash near zero; Intel's problem is the income statement itself. The balance sheets are both conservative, 0.36 and zero debt to equity. What the prices say is remarkable: $649B for Intel's possible future against $311B for UMC's modest present, the market paying double for negative margins over positive ones because of what the fabs might become. Manufacturing chips is currently valued almost entirely on tense: future for one, present for the other.
Comparison updated 2026-07-10.
| Metric | INTC | UMC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $127.68 | $25.58 |
| Market cap | $649.0B | $311.4B |
| Sector | Semiconductors | Semiconductors |
| Stage | Mature | Growth |
| P/E | — | 213.2 |
| P/B | 5.19 | 27.92 |
| P/S | 12.07 | 43.56 |
| EV/EBITDA | 493.3 | 195.8 |
| Revenue growth | +1.5% | +8.9% |
| Gross margin | 39.4% | 32.3% |
| Operating margin | -23.1% | 22.0% |
| Net margin | -12.6% | 20.8% |
| Return on equity | -5.4% | 13.3% |
| Return on assets | -3.3% | 8.7% |
| Return on invested capital | -0.7% | 12.0% |
| FCF yield | -0.5% | 0.1% |
| Dividend yield | 0.3% | — |
| Debt / equity | 0.36 | 0.00 |
| Current ratio | 2.31 | 2.45 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 6.73 | 6.96 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 4 / 9 | 6 / 9 |
Each week boothcheck ranks the stocks whose prices are betting on the most. Read the most stretched bets archive →
boothcheck is also on Android. Get the app on Google Play →
The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.