ASML Rides AI Chip Boom as Semiconductor Capex Surges
ASML Holding NV shares edged higher this week as the Dutch lithography giant capitalizes on soaring demand for advanced chipmaking equipment. The company’s EUV machines remain indispensable for producing cutting-edge AI processors, with analysts noting lithography systems now command 25% of global semiconductor capital expenditure.
TSMC’s planned 37% capex increase by 2026 mirrors broader industry momentum. Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron are similarly accelerating fab investments, creating a rising tide for ASML’s €400,000-per-hour light-painting systems. Yet China’s slowing orders cast shadows on an otherwise radiant outlook.
The semiconductor arms race has propelled ASML’s market valuation past €500 billion – a testament to its monopoly on technology that prints the blueprints of artificial intelligence. As foundries sprint to meet AI chip demand, their hunger for precision optics makes ASML the quiet kingmaker of Silicon’s new gold rush.
