Prime Highlight
- ASML’s shares surged to an all-time high, making the Dutch chip equipment maker Europe’s most valuable listed company with a market value above $500 billion.
- The rally reflects growing investor confidence in long-term demand for advanced chips, particularly for AI and data centre applications.
Key Facts
- ASML’s stock rose about 5% to 1,167 euros, with a market capitalisation of roughly €443 billion ($515 billion).
- The surge followed strong quarterly results from TSMC, highlighting the global semiconductor sector’s robust performance and demand for high-end chip technology.
Background
Shares in ASML jumped to a new all-time high on Thursday, pushing the Dutch chip equipment maker’s market value beyond the $500 billion mark and making it Europe’s most valuable listed company. The rally followed strong quarterly results from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which lifted investor confidence across the global semiconductor sector.
ASML stock rose around 5% during early trading, touching a record price of 1,167 euros. By 0858 GMT, the company’s market capitalisation stood at about 443 billion euros, or roughly $515 billion. The sharp rise placed ASML firmly ahead of all other European firms by market value.
Market analysts said the surge reflected growing optimism about long-term demand for advanced chips, especially for artificial intelligence and data centre applications. TSMC’s upbeat results earlier in the day reassured investors that spending on high-end semiconductor technology remains strong despite global economic uncertainty.
ASML leads the chip supply chain as the world’s top maker of advanced lithography machines that produce cutting-edge processors. Chipmakers rely on its extreme ultraviolet systems to make the smallest, most powerful chips, and demand for these machines is rising as companies try to increase production.
The positive mood did not remain limited to ASML. Semiconductor stocks across Europe also moved higher, with several suppliers and technology firms posting solid gains in morning trading.
The rally highlights how closely the sector follows performance signals from major chipmakers such as TSMC, which supplies processors for artificial intelligence leaders and consumer electronics giants. When these companies earn strong profits, investors often buy shares of equipment suppliers like ASML.
With its share price at record levels and its market value above $500 billion, ASML has underlined its position as a global technology leader and a key beneficiary of the ongoing boom in artificial intelligence and advanced computing.
