Gross Margin at 51.6%, Net Profit Reaches 2.1 Billion Euros
Surprise Performance Expected in Q4: "Net Sales to Hit 9.8 Billion Euros"
Confidence in Latest EUV Equipment: "Positive Growth"
ASML, the world's largest semiconductor equipment company based in the Netherlands, announced on October 15 that it achieved results in the third quarter of this year that met market expectations.
The company reported total net sales of 7.5 billion euros (approximately 12 trillion won), a gross margin of 51.6%, and a net profit of 2.1 billion euros (about 3 trillion won) for the quarter. This marks a decrease from the previous quarter, when net sales were 7.7 billion euros and net profit was 2.09 billion euros.
ASML is known as a "super supplier" due to its unrivaled position in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment, which is essential for advanced semiconductor manufacturing. EUV continued to play a key role in this quarter's performance. Out of ASML's total third-quarter bookings of 5.4 billion euros, EUV accounted for 3.6 billion euros.
ASML expects its overall performance to rise significantly in the upcoming fourth quarter. The company forecasts total net sales of 9.2 to 9.8 billion euros and a gross margin of 51% to 53%. Accordingly, it anticipates that its total net sales for the year will grow by about 15% compared to last year, with a gross margin reaching around 52%. Research and development expenses are expected to be approximately 1.2 billion euros, and selling, general, and administrative expenses are projected at around 320 million euros. ASML also expects that next year's total net sales will not fall below this year's performance.
Christophe Fouquet, CEO of ASML, emphasized, "We anticipate a strong fourth quarter." Regarding the third-quarter results, he stated, "With the accelerated adoption of EUV technology and the development of high-NA EUV, our 'litho intensity' continues to grow positively." He added, "As part of our efforts to support customers in the field of 3D integration, ASML shipped the first advanced packaging 'TWINSCAN XT:260' system."
He introduced this product as "an i-line scanner capable of improving productivity by up to four times compared to existing solutions," and said, "Through our partnership with French artificial intelligence (AI) company Mistral AI, we have been able to apply AI across our holistic portfolio, which has enhanced the performance and productivity of our equipment and improved customers' process yields."
Regarding recent market trends, he noted, "Investments in AI continue to drive strong growth momentum, and we are seeing increased AI investment from our customers in both advanced logic and DRAM sectors." However, he added, "In contrast, with regard to demand from Chinese customers, we expect that net sales in that region will decline significantly in 2026 compared to the strong performance seen in 2024 and 2025."
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