ASML raises 2026 sales forecast lower bound on strong AI equipment demand

Driven by continuously rising investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure, ASML released strong Q3 financial results on October 14, 2026. The company reported total net sales of €11.66 billion and a net profit of €4.96 billion with a 57.5% gross margin, both significantly beating market expectations. Capitalizing on robust market demand, ASML upgraded the low end of its full-year sales forecast for 2026 from €43 billion to €44 billion, bringing the projected annual sales range to between €44 billion and €45 billion. This marks the third consecutive quarter that the company has raised its outlook. Furthermore, the strong demand for chip-making equipment reflects the latest investment plans from major chipmakers like TSMC, Samsung Electronics, and Intel, with some customers already expressing interest in placing orders for 2029 and 2030. As existing supply plans for 2027 and 2028 are unable to fully meet market demand, ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet stated that the company is evaluating whether to increase production capacity for 2028 beyond the previously announced 30% expansion plan to cope with the growing supply-demand gap.