TLDR
- ASML posted record Q4 orders of €13.2 billion, nearly double analyst estimates of €6.85 billion, driven by AI chip demand
- The company raised 2026 revenue guidance to €34-39 billion, up from previous expectations and signaling at least 20% growth
- More than half of Q4 bookings were for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) machines totaling €7.4 billion
- ASML announced 1,700 job cuts (4% of workforce) to streamline operations and plans a €12 billion share buyback through 2028
- China accounted for 36% of Q4 sales but is expected to drop to 20% of revenue going forward
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ASML Holding reported blockbuster fourth-quarter results that sent shares soaring. The Dutch chipmaker’s order book hit €13.2 billion in Q4, crushing analyst expectations of €6.85 billion.
$ASML (ASML) #earnings are out: pic.twitter.com/CR1VwCjyBF
— The Earnings Correspondent (@earnings_guy) January 28, 2026
The surge marks a record quarter for bookings. CEO Christophe Fouquet attributed the jump to customers’ growing confidence in AI-driven demand for advanced semiconductors.
ASML makes the lithography machines required to manufacture cutting-edge chips. Companies like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and Intel rely on these tools. The equipment is critical for producing Nvidia AI accelerators that power data centers.
ASML Holding N.V., ASML
The Q4 numbers show chipmakers are betting big on AI’s future. Meta and Microsoft are pouring hundreds of billions into data center construction. This spending spree is forcing semiconductor manufacturers to expand capacity quickly.
Shares jumped 7.5% in Amsterdam trading to reach €1,309, a record high. The stock is up 41% year-to-date. Japanese suppliers like Lasertec and Tokyo Electron also posted gains on the news.
Memory Chip Shortage Drives Orders
More than half of last quarter’s orders were for extreme ultraviolet lithography machines. These EUV tools are ASML’s most advanced products. They generated €7.4 billion in bookings during Q4.
A memory chip shortage is fueling additional demand. Prices for these components have jumped to unprecedented levels. Analysts expect Samsung and SK Hynix to increase production capacity through 2027.
Barclays predicts SK Hynix alone will purchase 12 EUV machines in 2026. ASML said EUV revenue will increase substantially this year as customers ra