ASML reported record quarterly sales and lifted its 2026 outlook as customers increased equipment forecasts tied to artificial intelligence investments.
The Dutch chipmaking-equipment supplier posted third-quarter net sales of €11.662 billion, net income of €4.960 billion and a 57.5% gross margin. It now expects full-year sales of €44 billion to €45 billion, up from a previous floor of €43 billion, and forecast fourth-quarter sales between €14.2 billion and €15.2 billion.
The results matter beyond a single quarter because ASML's lithography systems are used to print the intricate patterns needed to make advanced chips. Customers have been raising short- and medium-term equipment forecasts, ASML said, primarily because of their expectations for the scale and duration of AI investment.
Demand is stretching into 2030
CEO Christophe Fouquet said some customers are interested in placing orders for 2029 and even 2030. ASML is already seeing substantial orders for 2028, Reuters reported, citing Fouquet.
That long lead time does not turn interest into guaranteed revenue. ASML's own forward-looking disclosures caution that future interest may not become firm orders and that orders can be delayed, changed or canceled.