ASML raises 2026 sales outlook as AI chip demand lifts orders

ASML raised its full-year sales forecast on Wednesday for the second time in 2026, citing continued customer spending on capacity for artificial intelligence chips. The Dutch semiconductor-equipment maker now expects annual sales of €43 billion to €45 billion, with gross margin of 54% to 56%.

The new outlook is above ASML’s prior forecast for net sales of €36 billion to €40 billion and gross margin of 51% to 53%. The change signals that demand remains firm for the company’s most advanced lithography systems, which are central to the manufacture of leading-edge semiconductors.

ASML had already lifted its guidance in the previous quarter. The company’s highest-end extreme ultraviolet, or EUV, machines are used in the lithography step of chipmaking, where circuit patterns are printed onto silicon wafers. CNBC reported that ASML’s EUV systems are the only tools capable of the lithography required for the most advanced chips used in AI applications.

That position gives ASML a critical role in the semiconductor supply chain as chipmakers add capacity. Demand for advanced processors has pushed foundries and other chip producers to increase investment in production lines that can manufacture the most complex chips.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., one of ASML’s largest customers, reported earlier this week that June sales rose 68%, supported by demand for its chips, according to CNBC. TSMC is also planning to add two advanced chip-packaging plants in the Chiayi Science Park in southern Taiwan, Reuters reported, citing comments made Sunday by Wu Cheng-wen, Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council minister.

Advanced packaging is a related part of the production chain. It allows multiple chip components to be connected in ways that can improve performance and efficiency, a feature that has become more significant for AI processors and related systems.

UBS analysts said in a July 10 note that construction of semiconductor fabrication facilities, together with AI-related demand for leading-edge chip production, is expected to support a stronger second half for ASML. The analysts’ view reflects the link between capital spending by chipmakers and future orders for manufacturing equipment.

ASML’s improved outlook comes while semiconductor equities have faced pressure. CNBC reported that investors have questioned whether the scale of AI-driven capital expenditure across the sector can continue. For equipment makers, that concern centers on whether customers can maintain the pace of spending needed to expand manufacturing capacity.

The company also faces tightening export controls on advanced chipmaking equipment. Such restrictions can affect where ASML is permitted to sell its most sophisticated systems, adding a policy constraint to a business already tied to global technology competition and national security concerns.

ASML’s revised guidance places the company’s 2026 expectations well above its previous range, while maintaining focus on the same core driver: demand from customers building capacity for advanced chips used in AI.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.