ASML Weighs Extra 2028 Capacity as Korean Memory Makers Circle EUV Tools
Published on 11/11/2026 at 11:01 | Editorial boerse-global.de
ASML is examining whether it can push output for 2028 beyond the 30% expansion it flagged roughly a month ago, after acknowledging that planned supply of Low-NA EUV and DUV immersion systems will fall short of what customers need. The shortfall, as the company describes it, covers 2027 and 2028, and a further capacity increase beyond the existing plan was under review.
The disclosure lands alongside evidence that the order pipeline is already stretching well past those years. According to media reports, chipmakers were hunting for equipment as early as 5 November with delivery dates running into 2029, and lead times on some tools exceeded two years — a gap the reports tied to the AI-driven buildout of fabrication plants. For an equipment supplier, that is the more telling part of the story: customers who want to lock in machinery years ahead are making commitments before the extra output exists.
Korean Rivals Line Up for EUV
Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are competing for orders of EUV lithography systems from ASML, the same reports indicate, with each said to be prepared to commit between 10 trillion and 20 trillion KRW. The coverage confirms neither a new order nor a fresh announcement from ASML. Even so, the interest from two of the sector's largest memory players gives the AI theme an industrial dimension, provided the intentions survive the long lead times and turn into binding purchase commitments.
The broader tape reinforced the mood. Asian chip stocks advanced on solid demand for AI chips, with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix both gaining. ASML shares rose 3.4% on the day.
Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying ASML Holding?
Guidance Already Lifted
The capacity question sits on top of an upgraded outlook. ASML's revenue forecast, raised about a month ago, projects 2026 sales of between EUR 44 billion and EUR 45 billion. For the third quarter of 2026 the company reported net revenue of EUR 11.7 billion and a gross margin of 57.5%.
Capital returns have continued in parallel. In a buyback update handled just over a week ago, ASML disclosed the purchase of roughly 424,000 shares under its running programme, at a total cost of about EUR 563 million. An earlier disclosure, from about a week before that, reported the repurchase of 346,200 shares.
Unions Exit Timing Talks
Internal restructuring has added a separate strand. Unions said yesterday, according to media reports, that they had jointly withdrawn from negotiations over the introduction date for the technology transition. ASML moved the date for that transition to 7 December 2026, the unions said, with 8 March 2027 set for IT. Their withdrawal applied specifically to the talks on the introduction date.
What matters most for the equity is how reliably AI demand converts into tool orders. Long-range equipment planning and concrete appetite for EUV technology both point in ASML's favour — as long as customers keep their investment plans on track.
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