Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is making news today with its third-quarter report, which was issued on Tuesday after the bell. The chip maker is acting as an optimism catalyst, and it's easy to see why. The big theme of the markets has been that the clouds of the recession are beginning to part; judging by the observed sequential improvement, this theme might have legs.
The tech giant made 33 cents per share in Q3 on an adjusted basis. That figure was 15 cents higher than the previous quarter's per-share income. In addition, it was much higher than analyst opinion. Wall Street was betting on 27 cents per share. Shareholders should be more than pleased by that comparison. Revenue also expanded sequentially, although it did go down when looked at from a year-over-year perspective.
The Richest Woman in the World: How Gina Rinehart Earns her Billions
America's 10 Highest-Paid CEOs of 2011 (and How They Earned It)

