(Jan 19): ASM International NV reported fourth-quarter orders that beat expectations on the back of an improvement in bookings for its chip-making equipment from China and strong demand in artificial intelligence-linked segments.
Fourth-quarter order intake rose to about €800 million, the Almere, Netherlands-based company said in a statement on Monday (Jan 19), citing preliminary figures. That compares with an average analyst estimate of €670.6 million, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Revenue in the quarter amounted to €698 million, beating prior guidance.
ASM shares rose as much as 2.5% to €706.80 apiece in early Amsterdam trading.
ASM stands to benefit from the huge increase in spending announced by one of its most important customers last week, chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. TSMC said it plans to spend more than US$52 billion this year, the bulk of which will be allocated to cutting-edge manufacturing techniques.
“In our view, this suggests that TSMC’s massive capex announcement of last week is already at work,” said Degroof Petercam analyst Michael Roeg.
ASM said the stronger bookings were driven by a rebound in orders from China at the end of the quarter and “solid bookings” for its equipment used to manufacture advanced logic chips, such as processors made by specialised foundries.
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ASM makes tools that are critical to the production of cutting-edge chips used for artificial intelligence applications. The Dutch chip-tool maker has previously said that increased spending on AI chips, which are harder to manufacture than traditional semiconductors, is driving demand for its specialist equipment.
The company expects revenue to show a healthy increase in the first quarter compared to the prior three months.
The figures should “help to dispel” concerns about ASM’s revenue momentum in the second half of 2026, said Citigroup Inc analyst Andrew Gardiner.
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