Chipmaking equipment giant ASML recorded a quarterly net profit of nearly 5 billion euros in the third quarter of 2026, the highest in the company's history, according to results announced October 14. The Veldhoven-based firm also achieved a net profit margin of 42 percent—for every euro of revenue, it now earns 42 cents in profit—placing it among the world's three most profitable chip companies. With record-breaking revenue of 11.7 billion euros, the firm converted earnings to approximately 113,000 euros in net profit per employee during the quarter.
That 42 percent margin puts ASML in an elite group globally, trailing only two firms: AI chip designer Nvidia, which posted a 62 percent net margin in the second quarter, and chipmaker TSMC, which reached 55 percent. TSMC is one of ASML's major customers and manufactures semiconductors for Nvidia, Apple, AMD, and Qualcomm. The company employs roughly 44,000 people worldwide. This summer, ASML rewarded staff with a 20,000-euro share package, set to be granted on January 1, 2027, and fully vesting after three years—equivalent to eleven ASML shares at current prices.
CEO Christophe Fouquet said customers are struggling to keep pace with demand, with orders not only secured for the coming years but penciled in for deliveries as far out as 2029 and 2030. "With the huidige vraag en de groei van het orderboek verwachten we dat onze geplande productie voor 2027 en 2028 niet volledig aan de vraag van klanten zal kunnen voldoen," Fouquet stated—meaning current demand and order book growth indicate planned production for 2027 and 2028 won't fully meet customer needs. The company is now examining whether output can be increased even further in 2028, just a month after breaking ground on a new campus in Eindhoven.
ASML projects full-year 2026 revenue between 44 and 45 billion euros with a gross margin around 56 percent, and investors responded positively—shares opened 2.7 percent higher Wednesday following the announcement. But the company remains watchful of U.S. export restrictions: CFO Roger Dassen criticized the Match Act proposed in Congress, arguing it's unrealistic to halt Chinese technological progress this way and warning the legislation could actually speed up illegal copying of Western technology by China. "Om die redenen denken we dat de Match Act geen goed idee is. En ik ben altijd optimistisch dat het gezonde verstand in dit gesprek zal winnen," Dassen said, expressing hope that common sense will prevail after next month's midterm elections. Currently, the Chinese market accounts for roughly one-fifth of ASML's total revenue.