After being left for dead just a year ago, Intel has staged an astonishing comeback, with shares notching their first record in 26 years and soaring past it. The chip maker now stands up 239% in 2026, part of a broader semiconductor rally that has transformed investor sentiment toward once-forgotten tech stocks.

The chip-stock melt-up extends beyond Intel, with Sandisk shares surging 558% and South Korea's largest stock index nearly doubling. Even more dramatic, S&P 500 semiconductor companies have added approximately $3.8 trillion in market capitalization during the past six weeks alone, creating unprecedented wealth for investors.

This dramatic resurgence reflects renewed confidence in the chip sector's fundamental value and growth prospects, reshaping market dynamics in the tech industry and creating significant wealth for those who maintained positions during the downturn.