ASML orders triple in fourth quarter amid soaring demand for advanced chip gear, especially in China
- Order bookings rose to €9.19 billion in the fourth quarter from €2.6 billion in July to September in a sign of recovery for the chip industry
- ASML benefited from strong demand from China last year as chip makers rushed to get lithography machines ahead of new export restrictions
Order bookings rose to €9.19 billion (US$9.98 billion) in the fourth quarter from €2.6 billion in July to September, Europe’s most valuable technology company said in a statement on Wednesday. That compares with an average estimate of €3.6 billion by analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.
Bookings of its most-advanced extreme ultraviolet lithography machines in the period was €5.6 billion.
“The inventory levels in the end markets are improving and are definitely at a better level than they were a couple of quarters ago,” chief financial officer Roger Dassen said in a statement accompanying the earnings result.
ASML also benefited from strong demand from China last year as chip makers there rushed to get lithography machines ahead of Dutch export rules meant to hobble Beijing’s semiconductor ambitions. The rise in Chinese demand helped offset the effects of a global chip industry slowdown on ASML, which is the only producer of the equipment needed to produce most advanced semiconductors.