Finance
Asml Lifts 2026 Outlook on the Back of Stronger AI Demand
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 15, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 15, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleQuick Summary
ASML raised its 2026 full-year revenue guidance to €36–40 billion, up from €34–39 billion, as surging AI chip demand drives record orders and robust bookings in Q4 2025, bolstering its growth outlook.
ASML lifts 2026 forecast as surging AI demand boosts new orders for chip equipment
ASML's Financial Performance and AI-Driven Demand Surge
By Nathan Vifflin and Toby Sterling
Strong First-Quarter Earnings and Upgraded Revenue Outlook
AMSTERDAM, April 15 (Reuters) - ASML, the world’s largest supplier of chipmaking equipment, on Wednesday reported stronger-than-expected first‑quarter earnings and lifted its 2026 revenue outlook, as artificial intelligence boosts demand for its tools.
CEO Statement on Accelerated Capacity Expansion
"Demand for chips is outpacing supply. In response, our customers are accelerating their capacity expansion plans for 2026 and beyond ...(and) our customers have increased their expected short- and medium-term demand for our products," CEO Christophe Fouquet said in a statement.
Revenue Projections and Market Position
The Veldhoven, Netherlands-based firm, Europe's most valuable by market capitalisation, said 2026 revenue will be between 36 billion and 40 billion euros ($42 billion and $47 billion), up from previous guidance for 34 billion to 39 billion euros. Analysts forecast the figure at 37.7 billion euros, according to LSEG data.
ASML as a Key Player in AI and Chip Manufacturing
Investors view ASML as a key "picks-and-shovels" play on AI, as it supplies key equipment to chipmakers such as TSMC, which produces processors for Nvidia and Apple.
Share Price Growth and Market Drivers
Shares have risen 40% so far this year amid the rapid construction of data centres and a shortage of memory chips, both of which contribute to demand for ASML products.
Production Capacity and Technology Leadership
Addressing concerns about ASML's ability to keep up with demand, in a statement the company's CFO said ASML should be able to ship 60 of its flagship low-NA EUV tools in 2026 - 25% more than in 2025 - and will have capacity to ship 80 in 2027.
Exclusive Supplier of EUV Lithography Tools
ASML is the only maker of these EUV, or extreme ultraviolet lithography tools, which can cost $300 million each and are needed to create the tiny circuitry of advanced chips.
Quarterly Financial Results
First-quarter earnings were 2.76 billion euros on sales of 8.76 billion euros. That was up from 2.36 billion euros on sales of 7.74 billion euros in the first quarter of 2025.
($1 = 0.8483 euros)
(Reporting by Toby Sterling in Amsterdam, Nathan Vifflin in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak and Louise Heavens)
Key Takeaways
- •ASML lifted its 2026 revenue guidance to €36–40 billion (up from €34–39 billion), reflecting stronger-than-expected AI-driven demand, surpassing analyst consensus of ~€37.7 billion (finance.yahoo.com).
- •The guidance boost is underpinned by record Q4 2025 bookings of €13.2 billion—more than double analyst estimates—with €7.4 billion of that tied to EUV systems vital for AI and advanced logic and memory chip production (fintool.com).
- •ASML’s 2025 net profit hit a record €9.6 billion on €32.7 billion in sales, driven by AI infrastructure demand; the company also revealed a major €8 billion order from SK Hynix for EUV tools, locking in multi‑year delivery through 2027 (apnews.com).
References
Frequently Asked Questions about ASML lifts 2026 outlook on the back of stronger AI demand
1Why did ASML raise its 2026 revenue outlook?
ASML raised its 2026 revenue outlook due to increasing demand for AI chipmaking tools.
2What is ASML’s new sales projection for 2026?
ASML now expects 2026 sales between 36 billion and 40 billion euros.
3What was ASML’s previous 2026 revenue guidance?
Previously, ASML forecasted sales between 34 and 39 billion euros for 2026.
4What is driving the demand for ASML’s products?
The demand is being driven by rapid growth in artificial intelligence applications.
5How did analysts’ expectations compare with ASML’s previous outlook?
Analysts expected 2026 sales to trend toward the upper end of the previous range, at 37.7 billion euros.