(March 4): ASM International NV forecasted revenue for the first quarter that beat analysts’ estimates, boosted by higher demand from China and continued artificial intelligence investments.
The Dutch chip equipment maker anticipates revenue of €830 million in the January-to-March quarter, with a range of 4% above or below that level, according to a statement after market hours Tuesday (March 3). That compares with the average €767 million analyst estimate, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. ASM expects revenue to grow throughout the year, with second-quarter sales higher than in the current period and better performance in the second half than in the first.
ASM shares rose as much as 5.8% to €722.20 in Amsterdam on Wednesday.
“We stand ready to support our customers as they expand capacity and drive innovation to meet the multi-year surge in AI data centre demand,” CEO Hichem M’Saad said in the statement.
Almere, Netherlands-headquartered ASM, like the much larger Dutch lithography-gear maker ASML Holding NV, is a beneficiary of the investment boom in AI infrastructure. The rapid development of data centres has led to semiconductor manufacturers boosting capacity, in turn stoking demand for chip-equipment makers’ products.
ASM makes tools that deposit thin film layers on wafers, a step that’s essential to the process of making chips. It is capitalising on the industry’s shift to so-called gate-all-around device architecture, where its machines can deposit layers that are one atom thick to make more energy-efficient chips.
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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, one of ASM’s largest customers, in January outlined plans for as much as US$56 billion in capital spending this year. ASM then announced a stronger-than-anticipated preliminary order intake for the fourth quarter, driven by “solid” bookings from logic customers and a rebound in demand from China.
ASM said it now expects sales in China to increase in 2026, calling it “a notable improvement” from its prior forecast of a double‑digit decline.
“Most of any positive surprise on guidance is China driven,” Barclays analyst Simon Coles said in a note Wednesday.
See also: STMicro sales outlook beats estimates on chip recovery
The company will stop disclosing quarterly bookings and backlog starting this quarter but will provide the backlog at year-end.
Net income last quarter was €166.1 million, the company said, beating estimates. ASM also announced a share buyback of as much as €150 million from 2026 to 2027. The full-year dividend of €3.25 for 2025 missed estimates.
It has announced plans to invest in a facility in Almere that is set to be its new global headquarters, including an R&D centre and product development operations. The expansion is aimed at supporting ASM’s target of reaching more than €5.7 billion in sales by 2030.
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