Intel Says Asia Crisis Having Impact

Intel Corp. said it’s starting to feel the pinch from the Southeast Asian currency crisis, notably in Thailand, although the small amount of revenue it gets from the area will mitigate the problem. “There’s definitely been an impact. But it’s too early to say what is going to happen longer term,” said Sean Maloney, vice president and general manager of Intel Asia-Pacific. The Thai baht has plunged against the dollar, prompting the government to raise interest rates to deter currency speculators from putting more pressure on the baht. Nearly 20% of Intel’s revenue comes from the Asia Pacific region, which excludes sales in Japan. Intel shares rose $1.50 to close at $78.50 on Nasdaq.