The U.S. stake in Intel does not amount to a complete government takeover. While the federal government has assumed total control of private corporations before, such incidents have usually arrived during times of crisis — and not with the direct intention of attempting to play the markets.

Intel warned shareholders that the government’s stake could lead to "adverse reactions" from international customers, investors, and business partners.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he wants to make more investments in healthy U.S. companies on Monday. Whether Corporate America is on board is another story. The White House announced a near-10% stake in chipmaker Intel on Friday that converts government grants into an equity share.