ASML raises production after record quarter
The chipmaker is seeing such strong demand that planned capacity in 2027 and 2028 may not be enough.
Listen to this article
There is no audio version yet. Request one and an AI voice will read the article aloud.
Read by an AI voice.
ASML recorded record revenue of €11.7 billion in the third quarter. The Veldhoven-based company has raised its forecast for the whole of 2026 and is examining additional production capacity for the years thereafter.
ASML reported revenue of €11.662 billion for the third quarter of 2026 on Wednesday. Net profit came to €4.960 billion and gross margin to 57.5 per cent. In the second quarter, revenue was €9.326 billion and net profit €2.918 billion.
For the fourth quarter, ASML expects revenue of between €14.2 billion and €15.2 billion. For 2026 as a whole, the company now expects revenue of €44 billion to €45 billion, with a gross margin of around 56 per cent. This is higher than the range of €43 billion to €45 billion ASML gave in July.
According to chief executive Christophe Fouquet, demand is being driven mainly by investment in artificial intelligence. ASML’s customers expect, according to the company, greater demand for advanced memory chips and logic chips. Some customers are said to have already expressed interest in orders for 2029 and 2030.
ASML says its current plans for 2027 and 2028 are unlikely to be sufficient to meet demand. The company is therefore examining ways to increase capacity further in 2028. In July, ASML had already announced plans to expand capacity for certain EUV and DUV systems by 30 per cent in 2027.
The figures are important for the global chip industry because ASML is a dominant supplier of lithography systems used by chipmakers to apply circuit patterns to wafers. At the same time, strong demand does not mean that all chip companies are growing at the same pace. ASML itself warns that customers’ expectations are linked to the duration and scale of AI investment. A slowdown in that investment could affect the flow of orders.
The company also announced that it had bought back approximately €4.1 billion of its own shares in the third quarter. The figures therefore provide an insight both into operational growth and the company’s capital policy. The reaction from investors may change later on Wednesday when management discusses the results during a briefing.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The financial figures and the new forecast appear in ASML’s quarterly publication. The comments on AI and future orders are correctly presented as statements and expectations from the company.
- confirmed ASML recorded €11.7 billion in revenue and €4.96 billion in net profit in the third quarter of 2026. — Mentioned in ASML’s quarterly publication. source
- confirmed ASML expects revenue of between €44 billion and €45 billion for 2026 as a whole. — Included in the company’s outlook. source
- confirmed ASML is examining additional capacity because demand in 2027 and 2028 may be greater than planned supply. — This is stated in a comment by chief executive Christophe Fouquet. source
Editor's note
The revenue, profit and capacity figures come from ASML’s quarterly publication. The role of AI is the company’s explanation and not an independent assessment of future demand.Sources
- ASML reports €11.7 billion total net sales and €5.0 billion net income in Q3 2026 — GlobeNewswire via MarketScreener
- Quarterly results — ASML