Intel vs. SK Hynix: Revenue Trends to Help Investors Weigh Which Artificial Intelligence Stock to Buy

SK Hynix (SKHY) posted Q2 2026 revenue of $52.6 billion, more than triple Intel's (INTC) $16.1 billion, as demand for advanced memory semiconductors reshaped the revenue gap between the two chipmakers over the past two years.

The profitability contrast is just as stark. SKHY delivered a 76% operating margin, a historic level for the company. INTC, meanwhile, is mid-turnaround under new CEO Lip-Bu Tan, and Q2 2026 marked its highest quarterly sales in two years. That is a recovery signal, but the absolute scale remains far below SKHY's.

Applied Materials (AMAT) sits in the same classifier set, though the source offers no AMAT-specific figures, so this piece centers on the SKHY-INTC comparison.

Interpretation: a 76% operating margin leaves little room for upside surprise and considerable room for compression. The source frames the central debate as whether SKHY's growth holds or margins come under pressure as manufacturing capacity expands. INTC's setup is the opposite: lower expectations, with a two-year sales high offering evidence the turnaround under Tan is gaining traction rather than guaranteeing it.