NVIDIA's pause on 18A process testing weighs on investor sentiment!
Intel shares fell on Wednesday after a report said Nvidia had paused testing of Intel’s advanced 18A chip manufacturing process, a development that weighed on investor confidence in the company’s turnaround efforts. The stock of Intel declined about 2.5% in market trading, reflecting an immediate negative reaction to the reported pause involving Nvidia, according to the information provided.
The decline followed a report that Nvidia had halted testing activity related to Intel’s 18A process, a next-generation manufacturing technology that Intel has positioned as central to its future production strategy. The market move occurred despite the fact that Nvidia’s investment into Intel had previously cleared U.S. antitrust review, removing regulatory barriers but not offsetting the impact of the reported testing pause on investor sentiment.
No statement was cited from Intel regarding the reported pause, and no response from Nvidia was included in the report, leaving the market to react without confirmation or denial from either company.
NVIDIA pauses testing of Intel’s 18A process
According to the report referenced by investors, Nvidia paused testing of Intel’s 18A chip manufacturing process, a specific production node that represents one of Intel’s most advanced fabrication technologies. The report did not specify when the pause began, how long the testing had been underway before it was halted, or whether the pause was temporary or indefinite.
The 18A process is a manufacturing technology under development at Intel, and the reported pause relates specifically to Nvidia’s testing activity rather than a formal termination of any agreement, based on the information available. No technical reasons were provided in the report for why Nvidia paused the testing, and no performance metrics, yield data, or engineering benchmarks were disclosed.
The report did not state whether other customers or partners were continuing to test Intel’s 18A process at the time of the pause.
Separately, the report noted that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission had cleared Nvidia’s $5 billion investment into Intel, indicating that the transaction did not face antitrust opposition from U.S. regulators. The regulatory clearance was procedural in nature and addressed competition concerns, rather than operational or technical issues related to chip manufacturing or testing.
Company responses are nowhere to be found as of now
Neither Intel nor Nvidia was quoted in the report as commenting on the testing pause, and no official statements were referenced addressing the status of the 18A process. There were no filings, press releases, or regulatory disclosures cited from Intel that acknowledged the pause or provided additional detail on the state of its manufacturing roadmap. Similarly, no statement from Nvidia was included to explain the decision to pause testing, confirm its scope, or outline conditions under which testing might resume.
The absence of public comment left investors with only the reported information, contributing to uncertainty reflected in the stock’s decline. The report did not indicate whether either company planned to issue a statement later in the day or file additional disclosures with regulators.
What happens next is not stated
The report did not outline any next steps regarding Nvidia’s testing activity or Intel’s plans for the 18A manufacturing process. There was no indication of a revised testing timeline, alternative customers, or contingency plans related to the paused activity. The report also did not specify whether the pause would affect Intel’s production schedules, capital spending plans, or manufacturing milestones tied to the 18A process. No future regulatory actions were mentioned following the FTC’s clearance of Nvidia’s investment, and no additional reviews were referenced.
As a result, the market response on Wednesday reflected available information limited to the reported pause, the cleared investment, and the immediate stock price movement, without further procedural detail on how the situation may evolve.
