SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Intel Corp.'s first-quarter profit matched Wall Street's subdued expectations, a sign the company's core microprocessor business remained healthy amid fears of a broader slowdown in technology spending.

The stock jumped about 7 percent in after-hours trading Tuesday after the technology bellwether forecast higher profit margins in the second quarter and signaled that it is thriving while its smaller rival, Advanced Micro Devices Inc., continues to stumble.

Santa Clara-based Intel said Tuesday that its net profit for the three months ended March 29 was $1.44 billion, or 25 cents per share. That represents a 12 percent decline from the year-ago period, when Intel earned $1.64 billion or 28 cents per share. But it was in line with the average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Financial.

Intel's sales of $9.67 billion -- a 9 percent improvement over last year and a record for the first quarter -- came in slightly higher than Wall Street's estimate of $9.63 billion.

Intel's chief financial officer, Stacy Smith, said the results reflect the company's ability to overcome slumping prices in some segments of the semiconductor market with a new chip-making process that lowers the manufacturing costs for each chip.

"What we're seeing is the strength of the core business is offsetting that weakness," he said in an

Over the past year or two, a combo of new government regulations and a chaotic stock market - not to mention the continued slashing of traditional pensions - has spurred many companies to revamp their 401(k) plans in ways that can pay off big-time.

Feature: A Roth Option

401(k)s offering it: About 25% of employers

Unlike a regular 401(k), the Roth version - permanently greenlighted by Congress in 2006 - lets you make contributions only after the money is taxed. But withdrawals are tax-free. If you'll be in a higher bracket in retirement, a Roth 401(k) can be a better deal.

Feature: An Automatic Rebalancing Service

401(k)s offering it: More than half

Once you've settled on an appropriate mix of stock and bond mutual funds within your 401(k), this service automatically rebalances your holdings back to your desired allocation (by buying and selling funds in your account) once a quarter, typically. And it's usually free.

Feature: Target-Date Funds

401(k)s offering it: About two-thirds

Also known as life-cycle funds, they maintain a mix of stocks, bonds and cash that gradually grows more