Intel officially launched high-volume manufacturing for its 18A process node on January 30, 2026. This milestone completes CEO Pat Gelsinger’s 5 Nodes in 4 Years roadmap ahead of schedule. The company is currently producing Panther Lake consumer processors and Clearwater Forest server chips at Fab 52 in Arizona. Production yields are estimated at a commercially viable range of 65% to 75%. Microsoft and Amazon have already secured design wins for the node to develop custom silicon and AI accelerators.
Despite the technical achievement, Intel shares declined 1.42% to $47.91 on February 5, 2026. The Nasdaq Composite fell 1.86% today as investors rotated away from high-growth technology stocks. Market sentiment was pressured by Alphabet’s increased AI capital expenditure guidance of $175 billion to $185 billion. Macroeconomic headwinds also weighed on the sector after January labor data showed only 22,000 private-sector job additions.