** Shares of Intel INTC.O rise 1.36% to $32.60 premarket
** Struggling chipmaker seeking investment from Apple AAPL.O, Bloomberg News reports
** Companies have also discussed how to work more closely together - report
** Last week, Nvidia NVDA.O announced it would invest $5 billion in Intel for a roughly 4% stake
** Meanwhile, brokerage Seaport Research Partners raises INTC rating to "neutral" from "sell"
** "In the near term, the stock is likely to be driven by follow-on investments and the potential for a stop-gap solution for the fabs" - Seaport
** YTD, Intel stock up 55.7%