ASML $ASML gains 1.1% as 2026 sales outlook rises to €36B-€40B

ASML $ASML was up 1.1% in U.S. trading at 12:54 UTC on April 15 after first-quarter net sales of €8.8 billion and net profit of €2.8 billion beat LSEG expectations of €8.5 billion and €2.5 billion, respectively, as reported by CNBC. In its first-quarter release, ASML put gross margin at 53.0% and said 2026 revenue should now land between €36 billion and €40 billion, above its previous €34 billion to €39 billion range.

The near-term outlook also stayed firm. ASML guided for second-quarter net sales of €8.4 billion to €9.0 billion and a gross margin of 51% to 52%. The company said the first quarter came in near the high end of its own guidance range, with net income of €2.757 billion and basic EPS of €7.15. That is a meaningful signal for semiconductor investors because ASML sits at the equipment choke point for leading-edge logic and memory capacity additions.

The product and customer mix shows where demand is moving. ASML said 51% of new-tool sales in the quarter went to memory customers, up from 30% in the prior quarter, as memory shortages tied to AI servers kept chipmakers expanding capacity. Customers in South Korea accounted for 45% of sales and Taiwan represented 23%. China system sales fell to 19% of total sales from 36% in the December quarter, reflecting the pressure from export restrictions.

A notable change is what ASML no longer discloses. The company stopped publishing quarterly order numbers, a figure investors usually watch closely, but management said order intake remains very strong and that "demand for chips is outpacing supply." That language matters because it reframes the debate from one soft quarter in orders to a broader multi-quarter capacity build tied to AI infrastructure, memory tightness and long-term supply agreements.

The next question is whether export-control risk cuts into the upgraded outlook or whether AI-related memory and foundry investment keeps absorbing that pressure. ASML also said it could deliver 80 low-NA EUV systems in 2027 if customer demand supports it, giving investors another checkpoint beyond this year. For now, the quarter reinforced ASML's role as the clearest public barometer of chip-capex appetite across Taiwan, South Korea and the rest of the advanced semiconductor chain.

Not investment advice. Verify all figures with primary sources before acting.