ASML is kicking off tech earnings. Here’s what to expect from Europe’s biggest semiconductor supplier.
1 min read
The story
ASML, the Dutch monopoly supplier of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, reports its second-quarter 2025 results on Wednesday. Analyst consensus calls for roughly 15% year-over-year EPS growth, reflecting continued demand from TSMC, Samsung, and Intel as chipmakers invest in leading-edge capacity. ASML is the only company in the world capable of manufacturing EUV tools, giving it structural pricing power that underpins the bullish thesis.
The headline EPS number matters less than the two operational lines investors will scrutinize: net bookings (which collapsed to €3.6bn in Q4 2024 before recovering) and any update to the 2025–2026 shipment schedule for High-NA EUV tools. A bookings number above €5–6bn would confirm the cycle is re-accelerating; a miss would reignite fears of a demand air pocket heading into 2026.
Bears point to two structural overhangs. First, U.S. export controls have progressively tightened ASML's ability to ship older DUV tools to China — a market that accounted for roughly 49% of 2023 revenue before falling sharply. Any further escalation in U.S.-China tech restrictions could compress the addressable market materially. Second, ASML trades at a premium multiple, so even a guidance hold rather than a raise can disappoint given buy-side expectations baked in.
The bull case rests on the irreplaceable nature of the product and the long-cycle nature of fab investment commitments. TSMC and Samsung have both indicated multi-year capacity expansion plans that require ASML tools years in advance. If bookings confirm that pipeline, the market could re-rate the stock toward the high end of the 12-month price target range.
What to watch Wednesday: (1) Q2 net bookings vs. €5bn consensus estimate, (2) full-year 2025 revenue guidance reaffirmation or raise, (3) any commentary on China DUV shipment volumes and U.S. export-control exposure, and (4) High-NA EUV customer qualification timelines.
The case — both sides
ASML's EUV monopoly and multi-year fab investment commitments from TSMC and Samsung create a durable order backlog that makes the 15% EPS growth target a floor rather than a ceiling if bookings recover above the €5bn level.
China revenue — which peaked near 49% of total sales in 2023 — remains exposed to further U.S. export-control tightening, and any incremental restriction on DUV shipments could materially compress ASML's near-term revenue base at a moment when the stock still prices in a premium growth trajectory.
The house read
Two-sidedASML's Q2 print — particularly net bookings and China exposure commentary — will test whether the equipment cycle is genuinely re-accelerating or whether the 15% EPS growth consensus is the ceiling rather than the floor.
Wrong ifA softer-than-expected bookings number combined with any incremental negative commentary on China DUV shipment restrictions would be the primary downside catalyst; on the upside, a guidance raise without strong bookings improvement would likely be met with skepticism given the premium valuation.
Published read · research, not advice