In brief
Sales rose by more than half to €11.66 billion, while net profit almost doubled to €4.96 billion, clearly above market expectations.
ASML guided fourth-quarter 2026 sales to €14.2 billion to €15.2 billion, against €14.19 billion expected by analysts polled by LSEG.
The company says it cannot fully meet customer demand in 2027 or 2028, and customers are placing orders for 2029 and 2030.
ASML had planned 30% more capacity in 2027 and another 30% in 2028, and is now examining a larger expansion for 2028.
- July 2026Company said capacity would rise 30% in 2027 and another 30% in 2028
- Week of 12 October 2026Chip shares slump after Broadcom CEO Hock Tan warns on AI expectations and financing
- 14 OctASML reports third-quarter results and raises its outlook
Third-quarter results beat expectations
ASML, the Dutch maker of chip-printing equipment and Europe's most valuable listed company, reported third-quarter sales of €11.66 billion on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, up by more than half. Net profit almost doubled to €4.96 billion, well above market expectations. Management said much of the strength came from upgrades of machines already installed at customers, a business that grew more strongly than the company had expected. On the back of these figures, ASML announced an interim dividend of €1.88 per share.
- Q3 2026 sales
- 11.66 billion euros
- Q4 2026 guidance, low end
- 14.2 billion euros
- Q4 2026 guidance, high end
- 15.2 billion euros
Data from the article text
Fourth-quarter guidance and the demand gap
For the fourth quarter of 2026, ASML forecast sales of €14.2 billion to €15.2 billion with a gross margin of around 57%. Analysts polled by LSEG had expected €14.19 billion. The company also raised the low end of its 2026 sales forecast, its third consecutive quarterly upgrade. Investment in artificial intelligence data centres is driving the upswing in orders. ASML now says it cannot fully meet customer demand in 2027 or 2028 and is looking at ways to expand capacity further. Customers are already placing orders for 2028, and some want machines for 2029 and even 2030.
Fouquet described the shift in the company's customer talks in a statement:
“A lot of our discussions with our customers now are shifting in fact beyond 2027.”
Capacity plans under review
In July, ASML said it would raise capacity by 30% in 2027 and again by 30% in 2028. Fouquet now says those two steps will not be enough to meet customer demand. The company is examining an expansion of its 2028 capacity beyond the planned 30%. Orders have been improving from quarter to quarter, and the company expects its order book to keep growing. ASML is the only company in the world able to build chip machines using extreme ultraviolet light, a technology that the most advanced chipmakers depend on.
Chip shares slumped earlier in the week
Earlier in the week of 12 October, chip shares slumped worldwide. The sell-off followed remarks by Hock Tan, chief executive of Broadcom, who warned that expectations for artificial intelligence were too high and that financing its expansion could run into problems. ASML's stronger outlook is expected to reassure investors. The contrast between the early-week sell-off and the upbeat guidance is the central tension for the sector this week.
Profit and volumes compared with earlier years
In the third quarters of previous years, ASML's profit was around €2 billion each time, according to NOS, so this year's €4.96 billion is far higher. The company expects to ship 65 machines to customers this year, 50% more than last year. It is also upgrading existing machines so customers can produce more chips over the same period. Its customers include TSMC, Samsung and Intel.