Qualcomm appears to see Intel’s struggles as a potential opportunity: A new report from The Wall Street Journal claims the San Diego-based chipmaker has expressed interest in buying Intel “in recent days.”
While the report cautions that such a deal is “by no means certain,” it would be disruptive to the U.S. semiconductor industry and would likely raise antitrust concerns, as the WSJ points out, but reports of Qualcomm’s interest underscore how Intel’s business has struggled over the past year.
Intel last month announced plans to cut 15,000 jobs after reporting a quarterly loss of $1.6 billion. Its foundry business has also struggled, posting an operating loss of $2.8 billion last quarter. CEO Pat Gelsinger announced plans earlier this week to separate the foundry business from the rest of Intel’s operations.
Intel declined to comment on the report, and Qualcomm did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
