IBM vs INTC: how the two businesses compare

  • Bigger business: IBM, with $67.5B of yearly revenue, about 1.3× INTC's $52.9B.
  • More profitable: IBM keeps 16 cents of each sales dollar as profit; INTC lost money over the year.
  • More cash from each sale: IBM turns 20 cents of each sales dollar into operating cash flow, against 18 cents at INTC.

From each company's latest annual SEC filing. Fiscal years can end on different dates.

International Business Machines (IBM) is the larger business by reported revenue: $67.5B in its fiscal year ended Dec 2025, about 1.3× INTC's $52.9B (fiscal year ended Dec 2025). IBM's net margin was 15.7% and INTC's -0.5%. The SEC classifies them differently (Computer & office Equipment; Semiconductors & Related Devices); what connects them is shared exposure to the Artificial intelligence research theme, not a common industry.

Figures come from each company's own SEC filings. This page compares the businesses; it is not a price target or a verdict.

Sector
Information Technology
SEC industry
Different
Separate classifications
Fiscal year ends
Different
IBM December 31 · INTC December 26
Reviewed
Feb 24, 2026

IBM vs INTC: quick comparison

Company factIBMINTC
CompanyInternational Business Machines CorporationIntel Corporation
ExchangeNYSENASDAQ
HeadquartersArmonk, New YorkSanta Clara, California
Founded19111968
SEC industryComputer & office EquipmentSemiconductors & Related Devices
Fiscal year-endDecember 31December 26
Latest annual filing10-K · 2026-02-2410-K · 2026-01-23

IBM vs INTC: audited financials

  • Scale: IBM's $67.5B of revenue is about 1.3× INTC's $52.9B.
  • Net margin: IBM kept 15.7% of revenue as net income versus -0.5% at INTC.
  • Cash conversion: operating cash flow equalled IBM 19.5% of revenue, or 1.25× net income; INTC 18.3% of revenue. A ratio well above 1× usually reflects non-cash charges or working-capital release; well below 1× can reflect working-capital build or non-cash gains.
  • Periods: the fiscal years end 4 days apart (2025-12-31 and 2025-12-27), so these annual figures cover close to the same months.

IBM: FY ending 2025-12-31 · INTC: FY ending 2025-12-27. Figures as tagged in each issuer's SEC XBRL filing; fiscal calendars may not align.

Where IBM and INTC overlap, and where they don't

Overlap

  • Shared research theme: Artificial intelligence.
  • Nearly aligned fiscal calendars: IBM's year ends December 31 and INTC's December 26.

Differences

  • Different SEC industries: IBM files as Computer & office Equipment; INTC as Semiconductors & Related Devices.
  • Only INTC maps to Tariffs & trade.
  • Profitability: net margin of 15.7% for IBM versus -0.5% for INTC.
  • INTC reported a net loss of $267M in its fiscal year ended Dec 2025.

Overlap is drawn from SEC classifications and Yield Theory research themes. It is not evidence that the companies sell to the same customers or compete product for product.

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)

IBM provides hybrid-cloud software, consulting, and mainframe systems to large enterprises and governments. Its Red Hat and watsonx platforms anchor a strategy built around open hybrid cloud and enterprise AI.

Intel Corporation (INTC)

Intel is a historic leader in microprocessors that is investing heavily to rebuild its manufacturing edge and build a foundry business for outside customers. Its US fabs make it a focal point of domestic chip policy.

What moves each company

Company-specific drivers maintained by Yield Theory. Use them to decide which filing deserves deeper work; they are not predictions.

What moves IBM

  • Software growth across Hybrid Cloud (Red Hat), Automation, Data, and Transaction Processing
  • Consulting signings, backlog, and book-to-bill
  • The IBM z17 mainframe cycle within Infrastructure
  • Acquisition integration, including HashiCorp and the pending Confluent deal

What moves INTC

  • Intel 18A yield and volume ramp for client and server CPUs
  • External foundry customer wins needed to justify Intel 14A
  • Client and data-center CPU volume, pricing, and share versus AMD and Arm-based rivals
  • Capital spending, fab construction pace, and government and strategic equity funding

The investment question

You now know IBM reports about 1.3× INTC's revenue, and IBM keeps more of each dollar as net income. Those are the facts. The investment question is what each share price already assumes about “Software growth across Hybrid Cloud (Red Hat), Automation, Data, and Transaction Processing” at IBM and “Intel 18A yield and volume ramp for client and server CPUs” at INTC, and which evidence in the next filings would prove that assumption wrong.

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Members-only research on IBM and INTC

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SEC filing comparison and disclosure evidence

Start with primary filings because fiscal calendars and accounting presentation can make superficially similar quarters incomparable. IBM's fiscal year ends December 31, while INTC's ends December 26. Normalize the reporting periods before comparing growth, margins, capital intensity, or guidance.

The current verified House and Senate snapshot contains 52 matched transaction rows for IBM and 45 matched transaction rows for INTC. These delayed, range-based disclosures can identify a filing to inspect; they do not establish motive, conviction, or a real-time trading signal.

What this comparison cannot tell you

This page does not contain licensed live prices, a valuation model, earnings estimates, portfolio constraints, or a forecast of future returns. SEC classifications can be broad, company descriptions can lag strategic change, and the latest annual filing may predate a material acquisition or divestiture. Read subsequent quarterly and current reports before making a decision.

A stronger business is not automatically the better stock. Starting valuation, expectations, capital structure, cyclicality, dilution, and the probability of each thesis determine the investment outcome. Use this comparison to frame the work, then verify the numbers in the linked filings and current company disclosures.

IBM vs INTC FAQs

Are IBM and INTC direct competitors?

Not necessarily. International Business Machines files as Computer & office Equipment and Intel as Semiconductors & Related Devices. The pair is compared because both map to the Artificial intelligence research theme, not because the filings show head-to-head competition.

Is IBM or INTC the bigger company by revenue?

International Business Machines (IBM) is the larger business by reported revenue: $67.5B in its fiscal year ended Dec 2025, about 1.3× INTC's $52.9B (fiscal year ended Dec 2025). IBM's net margin was 15.7% and INTC's -0.5%. The SEC classifies them differently (Computer & office Equipment; Semiconductors & Related Devices); what connects them is shared exposure to the Artificial intelligence research theme, not a common industry. Each figure is the annual amount tagged in the company's own SEC XBRL filing; market value depends on live prices, which this page does not publish.

Which is better, IBM or INTC?

There is no context-free winner. Compare the operating exposures, filing evidence, valuation, balance sheet, and risks against the specific thesis you are testing. This page deliberately does not turn a static profile into a buy or sell recommendation.

Does this IBM vs INTC comparison include live prices?

No. Yield Theory does not republish unlicensed real-time market data. The financial figures on this page are the audited annual numbers International Business Machines Corporation and Intel Corporation tagged in their SEC XBRL filings. Use a regulated broker or licensed quote provider for current prices and valuation multiples.

Where does the company information come from?

Company classifications, fiscal year-ends, and filing links come from the SEC EDGAR submissions API snapshot refreshed 2026-11-10. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.

Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-11-10. Independent educational research; not investment advice.

Which business differences matter to the investment thesis?

IBM vs INTC compares reported results. The reports below show how we connect operating evidence to an investment thesis, its assumptions, catalysts, and risks. $39/month or $249/year.

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