AMD and Intel Soared as Nvidia Lagged: Has the AI Trade Changed?

AMD and Intel Soared as Nvidia Lagged: Has the AI Trade Changed? Habib Ur Rehman Mon, September 7, 2026 at 5:25 PM GMT+9 3 min read AMD +4.69% NVDA +0.84% INTC +4.51% AMD gained 4.7% and Intel rose 4.5% on September 4, while Nvidia added only 0.8%. The one-session gap is consistent with investors widening the AI trade beyond Nvidia, but it cannot identify buyer motive or prove a lasting rotation. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) and Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) each offer a route to AI spending that does not require Nvidia to lose outright.

AMD's second-quarter revenue reached a record $11.5 billion, up 50% year over year, and Data Center represented 58% of the company. Its portfolio includes MI450 accelerators, sixth-generation EPYC processors, Helios rack-scale systems, and Pensando networking. Customers seeking a credible second source and more negotiating leverage support the bull case. The countercase is software maturity, execution across a broad roadmap, and the capital required to challenge Nvidia's ecosystem.

Insider Monkey's database counted 164 hedge funds holding Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) in Q2 2026, up from 134 in Q1 2026. Marshall Wace reported 3,898,210 shares, about 3% more than in Q1. The quarter-end filings predate the September 4 rally and cannot show whether funds reacted to it.

Intel's second-quarter Data Center and AI revenue was $6.3 billion, up 59% year over year. A resilient CPU franchise, custom silicon, advanced packaging, and a domestic foundry network form the bull case. The cost and uncertain returns of rebuilding manufacturing leadership form the bear case. Intel generated $1.8 billion of GAAP operating income, while its $2.16 GAAP loss per share was driven largely by a $12.5 billion noncash mark-to-market loss on escrowed shares. Negative $8.4 billion adjusted free cash flow still makes capital efficiency a real concern.

The Q2 2026 database counted 138 hedge funds holding Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), up from 112 in Q1 2026. AQR Capital Management reported 10,742,567 shares after cutting its position by about 6% from Q1. That disclosure also predates the September rally, so it is historical positioning rather than a reaction.

At the August 14 short-interest settlement, 135,685,200 Intel shares were sold short with 1.26 days to cover. Published float estimates put that near 2.6% to 3.0% of float, which is not a structurally crowded short. Friday's widening rally matters only if deployments validate a more plural supply chain. AMD must prove rack-scale adoption and software competitiveness; Intel must turn capacity and design wins into acceptable returns. Nvidia can keep growing while both take parts of an expanding market, but the decisive evidence will be shipments, margins, and free cash flow.

While we acknowledge the potential of AMD and INTC as investments, we believe certain other AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

READ NEXT: NVIDIA (NVDA): What Foxconn and Super Micro Are Telling Us about the AI Boom and Pony AI Is Scaling Robotaxis Fast—Can the Stock Reach BofA's $17 Target?