According to nasdaq, the after-hours high was USD22.77, and the low was 20.38, ending up at 20.69.

I don't get it. Why up so high (market close was 20.91) and then back down below that?

Can one of you financial wizards enlighten me?

I worked for "the company" as a R+D engineer thru the '90s and into '05. It was a crazy place to work-your-ass off during the '90s plenty of $$ - raises - options - parties. Stock splits like clock-work. Lots of opportunity and management was open to giving you a chance (risk taking). After the tech-implosion of 2000 / 2001 that was all over. In fact for years after 2000 Intel never really addressed stock options given to employees that were really useless (i.e. options to buy stock at $30 - $40 when the actual daily stock price was $22)

Bottom line is before 2000 working your ass off got you compensation and opportunity - afterwards working your-ass-off meant you kept your job. Even into '05 it was common to get your yearly review "you did a lot of good work this year - but no raise - no stock .... (i.e. feel free to leave if you want to). ". It used to be a place to make your career - now just a place to start a career and move off to somewhere else.

Oh - the rule of Intel stock:

- Stock price hits $19.75 ... buy a shitload

- Stock hits $23.50 - sell

Been good to my IRA account which came from Intel

Scu,

Basically two reasons:

1) profit taking - the day traders can see a decent turn and close their positions.

2) many industry analysts still think that Intel have matured as a business, see little significant growth in the future and the current marketcap represents 'fair value'.

Holding intc for capital growth based on recent years performance just hasn't been that smart a decision, so the sooner it grows up and starts paying some serious dividends the sooner you might see this reach the giddy heights of $30+ again!

Alternatively, it would be nice to see some action behind the rumours of an active US investor/corporate raider stalking them who intends to stir the situation up, ask some serious questions of the board, and perhaps then go for a breakup..then we might see $30+ again.

After hours trading is also known as kerb trading in English. This dates back to the days when shares and commodities were traded in various London (and other) coffee houses. When the coffee houses were shut, trading continued privately, if desired, on the kerb outside !!

Please DON'T tell any of this to Starbucks, Coffee Republic, etc. !! They might ideas above their station....