Replies to post #61730 on Intel Corp (INTC)

[smooth2o]

Joey: My gripe is that there seems to be an imbalance in terms of recent Intel buy-back versus dividend increase.

You can't have both. If Intel increased the dividend to $1, it would cost them an additional $3B per year in cash. Given the "competitive environment" of recent years that wouldn't allow for enough capital investment to get to where they are in process technology. In spite of their lead, others are supposedly one year away from 32nm/HKMG. Granted the share price would increase to say $30.

If you don't take the money from capex, you take it from the workers. In a situation where Intel was allowed to maintain its own pace, it might be different. Of course, then people would complain about the lack of technical innovation...

The REAL problem is the valuation of the stock. Were that different, everyone would be happy...so the only solution is to once again be perceived as a growth company... The simple fact is that Intel has far too many shares outstanding so the SP gets caught between valuations and earnings...

Smooth

[mmoy]

It doesn't work that well if the current options aren't worth that much and if the chance for significant appreciation aren't there. Let's say that you've worked at AMD for a year. Would a large options grant a year ago keep you there today?

For employees that are well-off ("working millionaires" - probably a lot of them on this board), you need to give them interesting work unless they have other stuff in life that they are working through.