Key Highlights

  • ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML) reported record third-quarter net sales of 11.7 billion euros and net income of 5.0 billion euros in its release at 1:00 a.m. ET on October 14, 2026.
  • Gross margin was 57.5%, fourth-quarter sales guidance is 14.2 billion to 15.2 billion euros, and full-year 2026 sales guidance was raised to 44 billion to 45 billion euros.
  • Chief Executive Christophe Fouquet said 30% capacity growth in 2027 and 2028 would not meet demand, a bullish signal after the memory rout. It is the first major equipment print since the memory rout.
  • The shares fell 4.2% in Europe and 1.86% as a US listing on October 13, 2026, before the results, so the October 14 reaction is not yet known.

The Record Quarter

ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML) released third-quarter results at 1:00 a.m. ET on October 14, 2026, with net sales of 11.7 billion euros and net income of 5.0 billion euros, both records according to the company release. Gross margin reached 57.5%. Guidance points higher: fourth-quarter sales of 14.2 billion to 15.2 billion euros, a jump of 21% to 30% from the third quarter by simple arithmetic, and 2026 sales of 44 billion to 45 billion euros. An investor call followed at 9:00 a.m. ET. These are the first major chip-equipment results since the memory selloff on October 13. Net income of 5.0 billion euros means roughly 43% of sales reached the bottom line, simple arithmetic on two published numbers. For ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML), the guidance raise suggests the order book remains strong.

Why the Shares Fell Anyway

The October 13 drop happened before the report, so it reflects the wider chip slump rather than ASML's numbers. Equipment makers depend on capital spending by chip manufacturers, and fears that memory makers could cut spending after a pricing shock weighed on the group, with Applied Materials falling 6.7% after its Analyst Day. ASML makes extreme ultraviolet lithography machines that print the finest circuit patterns, so demand reflects long-term capacity plans. Fouquet said capacity growth of 30% a year in 2027 and 2028 would not meet demand, a direct answer to the demand doubts. The pattern shows how global chip stocks move together: a shock in Korean memory shares became a selloff in US-listed names and then in Europe, before company results could intervene.

Risks and What to Watch

A record quarter does not remove cyclical risk. If memory prices fall, chipmakers may delay equipment orders, which would hit equipment suppliers with a lag. Export rules, customer concentration and the timing of large machine shipments also move results. The October 14 share reaction will show whether guidance restores confidence. Watch the call at 9:00 a.m. ET for comments on orders and China, and TSMC's results on October 15, 2026 for a read on leading-edge spending. Any decline after strong guidance would show that positioning is still fragile. Investors should also watch export rules, customer concentration in a few large chipmakers and the timing of large machine shipments, since a delay of one tool can shift quarterly revenue by a visible amount.

Where Things Stand

The answer is that the October 13 fall of 4.2% in Europe came ahead of the results, amid a chip rout, and the record quarter arrived afterwards. ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML) now has higher guidance and a bullish capacity comment, but the October 14 reaction is unknown. Memory pricing and order timing remain the risks. This is not advice. Fouquet's capacity comment is the strongest counter to the demand worries, but it is a view, not a result, and it depends on customers keeping spending plans.