ASML lifts 2026 outlook
ASML said it now expects €36bn–€40bn in 2026 sales, raising its revenue outlook on stronger AI-related chip demand. The company signalled that demand for lithography tools used to make advanced semiconductors remains robust despite export controls and geopolitical strains. (cnbctv18.com)
ASML raised its 2026 sales outlook on April 15, saying chipmakers are ordering more of its machines as artificial intelligence spending keeps climbing. (asml.com) The Dutch company now expects 2026 net sales of €36 billion to €40 billion, up from the €34 billion to €39 billion range it gave on January 28. It kept its 2026 gross margin forecast at 51% to 53%. (asml.com, asml.com) ASML reported €8.8 billion in first-quarter 2026 net sales, €2.8 billion in net income and a 53.0% gross margin. It said second-quarter sales should come in at €8.4 billion to €9.0 billion. (asml.com) ASML makes lithography machines, the tools chip factories use to project circuit patterns onto silicon wafers. The most advanced versions are essential for leading-edge processors used in data centers, smartphones and artificial intelligence systems. (asml.com, asml.com) That puts ASML near the center of the current chip race, because companies building artificial intelligence servers need more advanced logic chips and more memory. Reuters reported that stronger demand for those tools helped push ASML’s first-quarter results above expectations. (reuters.com, asml.com) The new forecast also shows how much demand has held up despite tighter export rules aimed at China. ASML said in December 2024 that updated United States export restrictions were expected to stay within its 2025 outlook, and new U.S. proposals this month would go further by targeting some deep ultraviolet tools still sold into China. (asml.com, cnbc.com, nbcnews.com) China still matters to ASML’s numbers. In its 2025 annual report, the company said China accounted for 36% of net system sales in 2025, up from 27% in 2024. (asml.com) ASML finished 2025 with €32.7 billion in net sales and a backlog of €38.8 billion, giving it a large base of future business before this latest guidance increase. The company sold 300 new lithography systems in 2025 and 67 more in the first quarter of 2026. (asml.com, asml.com) For now, ASML is telling investors that the biggest force in its market is still demand, not policy. Its next quarterly update will show whether artificial intelligence orders keep outrunning the export fight around its machines. (asml.com, asml.com)
