Intel’s Business Outlook does not include the potential impact of any mergers, acquisitions, divestitures or other business combinations that may be completed after July 14.
Q3 2008:
- Revenue: Between $10.0 billion and $10.6 billion.
- Gross margin: 58 percent plus or minus a couple of points.
- Spending (R&D plus MG&A): Approximately $2.9 billion.
- Restructuring and asset impairment charges: Approximately $60 million.
- Net gains or losses from equity investments and interest and other: Loss of approximately $30 million.
- Tax rate: Approximately 33 percent.
- Depreciation: Approximately $1.1 billion.
Full-Year 2008:
- Gross margin: 57 percent plus or minus a couple of points, unchanged.
- R&D: Approximately $6 billion, unchanged.
- MG&A: Approximately $5.7 billion, versus the previous expectation of $5.5 billion.
- Capital spending: $5.2 billion plus or minus $200 million, unchanged.
- Tax rate for the fourth quarter: Approximately 33 percent, unchanged.
- Depreciation: $4.4 billion plus or minus $100 million, unchanged.
Risk Factors
The above statements and any others in this document that refer to plans and expectations for the third quarter, the year and the future are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Many factors could affect Intel’s actual results, and variances from Intel’s current expectations regarding such factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. Intel presently considers the following to be the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the corporation’s expectations.
- Demand could be different from Intel's expectations due to factors including changes in business and economic conditions, including conditions in the credit market that could affect consumer confidence; customer acceptance of Intel’s and competitors’ products; changes in customer order patterns including order cancellations; and changes in the level of inventory at customers.
- Intel’s results could be affected by the timing of closing of acquisitions and divestitures.
- Intel operates in intensely competitive industries that are characterized by a high percentage of costs that are fixed or difficult to reduce in the short term and product demand that is highly variable and difficult to forecast. Revenue and the gross margin percentage are affected by the timing of new Intel product introductions and the demand for and market acceptance of Intel's products; actions taken by Intel's competitors, including product offerings and introductions, marketing programs and pricing pressures and Intel’s response to such actions; Intel’s ability to respond quickly to technological developments and to incorporate new features into its products; and the availability of sufficient supply of components from suppliers to meet demand.
- The gross margin percentage could vary significantly from expectations based on changes in revenue levels; product mix and pricing; capacity utilization; variations in inventory valuation, including variations related to the timing of qualifying products for sale; excess or obsolete inventory; manufacturing yields; changes in unit costs; impairments of long-lived assets, including manufacturing, assembly/test and intangible assets; and the timing and execution of the manufacturing ramp and associated costs, including start-up costs.
- Expenses, particularly certain marketing and compensation expenses, vary depending on the level of demand for Intel's products, the level of revenue and profits, and impairments of long-lived assets.
- Intel is in the midst of a structure and efficiency program that is resulting in several actions that could have an impact on expected expense levels and gross margin.
- The tax rate expectation is based on current tax law and current expected income. The tax rate may be affected by the jurisdictions in which profits are determined to be earned and taxed; changes in the estimates of credits, benefits and deductions; the resolution of issues arising from tax audits with various tax authorities, including payment of interest and penalties; and the ability to realize deferred tax assets.
- Gains or losses from equity securities and interest and other could vary from expectations depending on fixed income and equity market volatility; gains or losses realized on the sale or exchange of securities; gains or losses from equity method investments; impairment charges related to marketable, non-marketable and other investments; interest rates; cash balances; and changes in fair value of derivative instruments.
- Intel's results could be impacted by adverse economic, social, political and physical/infrastructure conditions in the countries in which Intel, its customers or its suppliers operate, including military conflict and other security risks, natural disasters, infrastructure disruptions, health concerns and fluctuations in currency exchange rates.
- Intel's results could be affected by adverse effects associated with product defects and errata (deviations from published specifications), and by litigation or regulatory matters involving intellectual property, stockholder, consumer, antitrust and other issues, such as the litigation and regulatory matters described in Intel's SEC reports.
