ASML Holding NV headquarters in Veldhoven, Netherlands, November 14, 2025.
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ASML announced Wednesday that some of its customers are interested in ordering critical semiconductor tools for 2029 and 2030, after the company reported better-than-expected third-quarter profits.
The comments will come as comfort to investors who were trying to assess the long-term demand outlook for ASML’s lithography equipment.
“Our customers continue to increase their near- and medium-term equipment demand forecasts for us, primarily based on their views on the size and duration of their AI-related investments,” CEO Christophe Fouquet said in a press release.
“Given the demand visibility, some customers have expressed interest in ordering from us for 2029 and even 2030.”
ASML is the only company in the world that manufactures extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment, a critical tool used by companies such as: TSMC Creating the world’s most advanced semiconductors.
Investors are watching Dutch companies’ performance for signs of demand for AI-related chips.
Fouquet said the current supply planned for 2027 and 2028 will not be able to fully meet customer demand. The company is “considering ways” to increase its production capacity in 2028 beyond the 30% increase it previously expected.
During the quarter, the world’s two largest chipmakers, Samsung and TSMC, committed to using ASML’s high NA extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment. High NA EUV is ASML’s next generation tool, and analysts see it as key to the Dutch company’s future growth.
In July, ASML upgraded its sales and gross profit forecasts for this year as demand for its tools remained strong. The company’s stock price has risen 56% this year.
ASML stock price since the beginning of the year
ASML announced on Wednesday that it had revised down its full-year sales forecast and now expects net sales to be between 44 billion euros and 45 billion euros ($49.3 billion to $50.4 billion). The lower end of the previous estimate was 43 billion euros.
ASML also said it expects fourth-quarter net sales to be between 14.2 billion euros and 15.2 billion euros. The upper end of the range is above the LSEG consensus estimate of 14.2 billion euros.
Here is a comparison of ASML and LSEG consensus estimates for the third quarter.
Net sales: 11.66 billion euros vs. 11.72 billion euros expected Net profit: 4.96 billion euros vs. 4.1 billion euros expected
ASML sticks to China forecast
ASML has a de facto monopoly on EUV equipment, but a July report in The Information suggested that an unnamed Chinese company had begun manufacturing immersion deep ultraviolet lithography (DUV) equipment, citing people familiar with the matter.
ASML dominates the manufacturing of DUV machines, which are not as advanced as EUV. China is strengthening its domestic semiconductor supply chain, and some investors worry it could challenge the dominance of Europe and the United States. However, analysts raised questions about China’s ability to enhance its own DUV technology.
Meanwhile, ASML has faced challenges in China in recent years. The company is restricted from selling EUV and some DUV tools to China.
