Analysts update ASML, GE Vernova

Goldman Sachs lifted its price target on ASML after the chip-equipment maker reported stronger first-quarter results and raised its 2026 outlook on April 15. (asml.com, investing.com) ASML said first-quarter net sales were €8.8 billion, gross margin was 53.0%, and net income was €2.8 billion. The company said it now expects 2026 net sales of €36 billion to €40 billion, up from its prior framework of a growth year without a tighter range. (asml.com, asml.com) Goldman Sachs analyst Alexander Duval kept a Buy rating on ASML and raised his target to €1,570 from €1,450, according to a report published April 16. Benzinga separately reported Duval had previously reiterated Buy with a €1,450 target after the quarter. (investing.com, benzinga.com) ASML makes lithography systems, the machines chipmakers use to print circuits onto silicon wafers. In its April 15 release, Chief Executive Officer Christophe Fouquet said customers had increased their expected short- and medium-term demand as artificial-intelligence infrastructure spending kept pushing chip demand above supply. (asml.com) GE Vernova got a similar post-earnings update one week later, after reporting first-quarter 2026 results on April 22 and hosting its earnings webcast that morning. Goldman Sachs analyst Joe Ritchie reiterated a Buy rating and kept a $1,000 price target, according to Benzinga. (gevernova.com, gevernova.com, benzinga.com) Benzinga said Ritchie called it a “strong all around quarter” after GE Vernova posted segment EBITDA of $957 million, above the $848 million consensus estimate. The same report said the analyst pointed to higher orders and a larger backlog in Power and Electrification. (benzinga.com) GE Vernova sells gas turbines, grid equipment and wind hardware, and the company says customers using its technology generate about 25% of the world’s electricity. Its investor site says services account for more than 55% of backlog, a detail analysts watch because backlog can signal future revenue already under contract. (gevernova.com, gevernova.com) These calls came during the stretch of earnings season when banks refresh models after companies publish new sales, margin and order data. The sequence was visible here: ASML released results on April 15, GE Vernova on April 22, and Goldman’s updated ratings and targets followed those reports. (asml.com, gevernova.com, investing.com, benzinga.com) For investors, the mechanics are straightforward: a rating says whether the analyst thinks the stock should outperform, and a price target is that analyst’s estimate of value over the next 12 months. When companies raise guidance or show faster order growth, those inputs often move higher in the next round of research notes. (benzinga.com, benzinga.com) In both cases, Goldman’s message was that fresh quarterly numbers supported existing bullish views. ASML’s update leaned on stronger chip-equipment demand and a higher 2026 sales range, while GE Vernova’s leaned on orders, backlog and profit coming in ahead of consensus. (asml.com, benzinga.com, investing.com)