Global Finance News
14 Oct 2026, 15:11
ASML Reports Record Q3 Sales as AI Demand Pushes Capacity Beyond Planned Supply
ASML Holding (NASDAQ: ASML) reported record third-quarter 2026 net sales of €11.7 billion, up from €9.33 billion in the second quarter, as strong AI-related semiconductor demand continued to drive equipment spending.
Gross margin improved sharply to 57.5% from 54.0% in the prior quarter, while net income climbed to €4.96 billion from €2.92 billion. Basic EPS rose to €12.95 from €7.59. ASML sold 113 new lithography systems during the quarter, compared with 86 in Q2, while Installed Base Management sales increased to €3.29 billion.
CEO Christophe Fouquet said customer equipment demand forecasts continue to rise, driven primarily by expectations for the size and duration of AI investment. Some customers are now expressing interest in placing orders for 2029 and even 2030.
The company also said its currently planned supply for both 2027 and 2028 is no longer expected to fully meet customer demand. ASML is therefore evaluating ways to increase 2028 capacity beyond the previously announced 30% expansion, highlighting unusually strong order-book visibility across the semiconductor equipment cycle.
For the fourth quarter, ASML expects net sales of €14.2 billion to €15.2 billion and a gross margin of around 57%. Full-year 2026 revenue is expected between €44 billion and €45 billion, with gross margin around 56%.
ASML also repurchased approximately €4.1 billion of shares during the quarter under its 2026–2028 buyback program and declared an interim dividend of €1.88 per share.
The results reinforce ASML’s position as one of the clearest beneficiaries of AI-driven semiconductor capital spending, with the key message shifting from demand recovery to whether the company can expand production quickly enough to satisfy customer requirements through 2028 and beyond.
ASML Holding (NASDAQ: ASML) reported record third-quarter 2026 net sales of €11.7 billion, up from €9.33 billion in the second quarter, as strong AI-related semiconductor demand continued to drive equipment spending.
Gross margin improved sharply to 57.5% from 54.0% in the prior quarter, while net income climbed to €4.96 billion from €2.92 billion. Basic EPS rose to €12.95 from €7.59. ASML sold 113 new lithography systems during the quarter, compared with 86 in Q2, while Installed Base Management sales increased to €3.29 billion.
CEO Christophe Fouquet said customer equipment demand forecasts continue to rise, driven primarily by expectations for the size and duration of AI investment. Some customers are now expressing interest in placing orders for 2029 and even 2030.
The company also said its currently planned supply for both 2027 and 2028 is no longer expected to fully meet customer demand. ASML is therefore evaluating ways to increase 2028 capacity beyond the previously announced 30% expansion, highlighting unusually strong order-book visibility across the semiconductor equipment cycle.
For the fourth quarter, ASML expects net sales of €14.2 billion to €15.2 billion and a gross margin of around 57%. Full-year 2026 revenue is expected between €44 billion and €45 billion, with gross margin around 56%.
ASML also repurchased approximately €4.1 billion of shares during the quarter under its 2026–2028 buyback program and declared an interim dividend of €1.88 per share.
The results reinforce ASML’s position as one of the clearest beneficiaries of AI-driven semiconductor capital spending, with the key message shifting from demand recovery to whether the company can expand production quickly enough to satisfy customer requirements through 2028 and beyond.
