Shares of Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) are falling on Wednesday, down 7% as of 12:14 p.m. ET. The drop comes as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite fell 0.4% and 1%, respectively. The struggling chipmaker's stock is sliding as investors await the U.S. government's decision over whether to take an equity stake in the company.

At the same time, the U.S. government has signaled interest in taking a direct stake. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described domestic semiconductor production as vital to national security, while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested that Intel should provide equity in return for CHIPS Act support.

The stock closed nearly 7% higher Tuesday after Japan’s SoftBank (JP:9984) agreed to invest $2 billion in

But Intel wasn't alone in winning CHIPS Act grants. As CNBC points out, Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) was awarded $6.6 billion in U.S. government semiconductor subsidies. And now it seems U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick may want to convert that grant into an equity stake as well.

The investment case for Intel has fundamentally changed. The stock should no longer be valued solely on its near-term earnings or competitive battles. It must now be viewed as a long-term, strategic asset with a quasi-sovereign backstop, trading near its tangible book value per share of approximately $24.26.

The Trump administration is in talks to secure a 10% stake in Intel in exchange for converting government grants that were pledged to Intel under President Joe Biden. If the deal is completed, the U.S.

In a just-breaking development, Bloomberg reports the Trump administration may take a 10% stake in Intel ( INTC -3.71%) -- which perversely is down 3.9% on the news, at least as of 12:35 p.m. ET. Probably not the reaction that either the Trump administration or Intel itself anticipated.

Shining a Spotlight on Intel Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) has emerged from the shadows of its semiconductor rivals, capturing the attention of investors and policymakers alike. After years of struggling to keep pace with competitors like Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE:TSM),

Stock futures fell Wednesday as markets awaited earnings from big-name retailers and the release of minutes from the latest Federal Reserve meeting.These stocks were poised to make moves Wednesday:Palantir Technologies fell 0.