Intel Corp.’s shares rocketed to a record $85.22 last week, eclipsing the dot-com era peak and capping a year-to-date gain of over 120%. The chip giant’s stock jumped 24% in a single day following blockbuster first-quarter results, its best performance since 1987. Investors, long skeptical after years of missteps, now see a company reborn in the AI age. Q1 revenue hit $13.6 billion, up 7% from last year and smashing Wall Street estimates by 11%, as reported by Intel . Earnings per share came in at $0.29, far above the expected penny. Guidance for the June quarter pointed to $13.8 billion to $14.8 billion in sales. Data Center and AI revenue climbed 22%, fueled by surging demand for server CPUs. And here’s the kicker: Intel even sold off chips it had written down, turning trash into cash amid shortages. But. This isn’t just numbers. It’s a narrative shift. CEO Lip-Bu Tan, installed in March 2025, has steered Intel from the brink.…