BOSTON, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Nvidia Corp. (NVDA.O: Quote, Profile, Research) shares climbed more than 8 percent on Wednesday amid speculation the graphics chipmaker could be acquired by Intel Corp. (INTC.O: Quote, Profile, Research), traders said.A spokeswoman for Intel, the world's No. 1 chipmaker, declined comment, saying her company doesn't comment on market speculation. A spokeswoman for Nvidia could not be reached.Nvidia shares rose $2.32 to $30.62 in afternoon Nasdaq trade. Some 20 million shares changed hands, about double the three-month daily average.Investors have been speculating that Nvidia might be acquired since July, when Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD.N: Quote, Profile, Research) agreed to buy Nvidia rival ATI Technologies Inc. (ATYT.OQ: Quote, Profile, Research) for $5.4 billion. Rumors of such a transaction resurfaced on Wednesday, spreading quickly across Wall Street trading desks, according to three options market participants."There is speculation that Intel will make an acquisition announcement tonight," said Bill Lefkowitz, options strategist at brokerage firm vFinance Investments in New York
Intel buys Nvidia!!!!! And other untrue thingsBy Charlie Demerjian: Thursday 05 October 2006, 09:04 THE HOT RUMOUR of yesterday was that Intel is buying Nvidia, some said last night, other said $37. Digging in, no one had anything more concrete than a friend of a friend of my uncle's barber's nephew heard something.The "deal" makes no sense to me, from products to antitrust to price, and there is little to recommend it. On top of that, the personalities and cultures involved go together like rabid weasels and sensitive body parts, nothing you would like in the same rough area of space at the same time.The final nail in this particular coffin was people who should be on edge, working late and twitching when the phone rang were not doing any of those things. It was calm and peaceful in Silicon Valley yesterday. My guess it thumbs down on this one, but every time I say something like that, it happens. Whatever the case, I vote no here. And no, I am not wearing another rabbit outfit. µ