Intel Revenue Rises 21% to $16.5 Billion as Q4 Guidance Tests Momentum
Key Facts
Intel reported revenue of $16.5 billion in the third quarter of 2026, up 21% year over year, while its data center and AI segment posted revenue of $7.3 billion, up 78% from the year-earlier period. Diluted earnings per share were $0.60 on a GAAP basis and $0.52 on a non-GAAP basis. The results highlight the breadth of growth between total revenue and the data center and AI-related segment. However, the company’s fourth-quarter outlook includes declines in revenue and margin compared with the third quarter, according to guidance included in the news inputs. Twilio, meanwhile, is due to report quarterly results after the close on October 29, with no reported results or fourth-quarter guidance figures available here.
Intel’s figures showed more than revenue growth: diluted earnings per share also improved during the period, with a gap between the GAAP and non-GAAP measures. The figures provide two reported measures of profitability, but guidance for the following quarter remains a separate part of the financial picture. The CEO said, "Demand for our processors remains strong despite near-term headwinds in the PC industry." His remarks linked strong processor demand with near-term pressure in the PC market, and also pointed to better execution and progress in expanding supply. This places the segment’s growth in the broader context of demand for the company’s products and its ability to deliver them.
In its earlier guidance, Twilio’s 11% to 12% annual organic revenue growth range applied to the third quarter of 2026, not the fourth quarter. The company’s guidance for that quarter included revenue of between $1.505 billion and $1.515 billion and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of between $1.42 and $1.47. Those figures appeared in its second-quarter earnings release. Twilio also raised its full-year 2026 organic revenue growth outlook in that release to 13%–13.5%, from a previous range of 9.5%–10.5%. It also raised its annual non-GAAP operating income range to $1.135–$1.155 billion, from a previous range of $1.08–$1.10 billion. The third-quarter range therefore should not be treated as company guidance for the fourth quarter.
Ahead of its third-quarter results, analysts expected Twilio revenue of $1.52 billion and earnings per share of $1.47, with revenue growth of 16.9% year over year. Those estimates differ from the company’s earlier range for the same quarter, which put revenue at $1.505 billion to $1.515 billion and organic revenue growth at 11% to 12%. Investors were also watching how much AI agent activity could support demand, according to an analysis published on October 29. In August, the CEO said the company was entering "a new phase of organic growth acceleration" and that its upgraded platform was designed for interactions in which people and AI agents work side by side. That technological direction provides context for demand expectations, but by itself does not establish the quarter’s results or the company’s next guidance.
Twilio shares had climbed sharply before the results: they were up 98% since the start of 2026 and about 16% over the previous six weeks, according to an Investing.com analysis published on October 29. The analysis linked part of the gains to the announcement on October 1 that the company would join the S&P 500. The rise came as investors awaited whether interest in AI agents would translate into support for demand for the company’s services. The closing price of $253.77 on October 28 preceded the results announcement, scheduled for after the market close the next day, and therefore does not reflect the market’s response to those results. Intel shares likewise closed at $95.53 on October 28, a price recorded before the results announcement according to its timing in the news inputs.
Twilio’s next milestone was the announcement of its third-quarter results after the market close on Thursday, October 29, 2026, with the company scheduled to hold its earnings call at 5 p.m. Eastern time that day. The date had been set in advance in the company’s announcement, alongside the release of its results. The call follows a period of share-price gains and anticipation over the effect of AI agents on demand, while analyst estimates put revenue at $1.52 billion and earnings per share at $1.47. For Intel, the comparison between third-quarter revenue and fourth-quarter guidance remains a key focus for upcoming figures, particularly given the data center and AI segment’s 78% annual growth. The available facts do not include a specific next event date for the company or detailed figures for its guidance; what can be confirmed is the quarterly results and the cited fourth-quarter outlook.