VELDHOVEN, Netherlands — ASML Holding N.V. shares climbed more than 1 percent Tuesday to close at $1,518.30, extending a strong 2026 rally as investors cheered robust demand for the Dutch chip equipment maker’s extreme ultraviolet lithography machines driven by the artificial intelligence boom.
ASML Holding N.V
The stock gained $18.10, or 1.21 percent, on above-average volume, trading near its all-time highs after touching intraday levels above $1,531. In after-hours trading, shares hovered around $1,528. The move came as ASML prepared to release first-quarter 2026 financial results on Wednesday, with analysts expecting solid figures amid rising orders for advanced semiconductor production tools.
ASML, the world’s sole supplier of high-NA EUV lithography systems essential for producing the most advanced chips, has benefited from surging capital spending by major customers including TSMC, Intel and Samsung. These firms are racing to expand production capacity for AI accelerators and high-performance computing chips, fueling a rebound in the semiconductor equipment sector.
The company’s shares have risen more than 40 percent year-to-date in 2026, far outpacing broader market indexes, as optimism grows around sustained AI-related demand. The 52-week range spans from a low near $614 to a high above $1,547, reflecting both geopolitical risks and the explosive growth potential tied to next-generation chip technology.
In January, ASML raised its full-year 2026 sales guidance to between €34 billion and €39 billion, with gross margins expected between 51 percent and 53 percent. Executives cited strong bookings for EUV and High-NA EUV systems, which enable smaller, more powerful transistors critical for AI workloads. The upgraded forecast marked a vote of confidence after some earlier caution around customer spending and export restrictions to China.
Advertisement
China remains a key but volatile market for ASML. While the company has projected that Chinese sales would account for roughly 20 percent of 2026 revenue, actual figures in prior years exceeded expectations despite U.S. export controls on the most advanced tools. Any easing or tightening of those restrictions could significantly impact results.
First-quarter 2026 results, due Wednesday, are anticipated to show continued momentum. Consensus estimates point to revenue around €8.6 billion to €8.8 billion and earnings per share near €7. Analysts will scrutinize order backlog, regional sales mix and commentary on High-NA EUV adoption. The new systems, priced at hundreds of millions of dollars each, represent a major technological leap but require substantial customer investment.
ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet has emphasized the long-term growth trajectory. The company aims for €44 billion to €60 billion in annual sales by 2030, driven by continued innovation in lithography and increasing complexity of semiconductor manufacturing. Investments in research and development, expected around €1.2 billion in the first quarter alone, underscore ASML’s commitment to maintaining its technological edge.
Wall Street remains broadly bullish. Many analysts maintain “buy” or “strong buy” ratings, with average price targets implying further upside from current levels. Optimism centers on ASML’s near-monopoly position in EUV technology and the multi-year cycle of fab expansions worldwide. However, some caution that lofty valuations — trading at elevated multiples — leave limited room for disappointment if AI hype moderates or macroeconomic headwinds intensify.
Advertisement
Geopolitical tensions add another layer of risk. U.S.-China trade frictions and potential new export licensing requirements could constrain sales of advanced machines to Chinese customers. ASML has navigated these challenges by complying with regulations while highlighting growing demand from non-restricted markets.
The broader semiconductor supply chain has shown resilience. TSMC, a major ASML customer, continues to report strong demand for its most advanced nodes used in AI chips from Nvidia and others. Samsung’s expansion plans and Intel’s efforts to regain process leadership also support ASML’s outlook.
Dividend investors have taken note as well. ASML offers a healthy yield and has a track record of increasing payouts. A final dividend for 2025 is scheduled with an ex-date in late April, providing additional appeal for long-term holders.
Market reaction to recent trading sessions reflects confidence. Shares have climbed steadily through April despite occasional volatility tied to broader tech sector swings. Tuesday’s gain pushed the stock closer to its February peak, signaling renewed momentum as earnings season approaches.
Advertisement
Industry analysts point to several tailwinds for the remainder of 2026. Memory chip recovery, logic device demand and the rollout of High-NA EUV tools are expected to drive double-digit sales growth. Gross margin stability in the low- to mid-50s range would further support profitability.
Challenges persist, however. Supply chain constraints for critical components, competition in less advanced lithography segments and potential slowdowns in overall chip demand if AI investment cools could temper results. ASML’s heavy reliance on a handful of large customers also concentrates risk.
For investors, ASML represents a pure-play bet on the semiconductor industry’s technological frontier. The company’s machines are indispensable for producing chips at the 2-nanometer level and beyond, positioning it at the heart of the AI revolution and future computing advances.
As Wednesday’s earnings release nears, focus will shift to forward guidance and management’s tone on customer capex plans. Any upward revision or strong backlog update could propel shares higher, while cautious commentary might trigger profit-taking given the year-to-date run.
Advertisement
ASML’s performance in 2026 underscores the enduring importance of foundational technology providers in the semiconductor ecosystem. While flashy AI chip designers capture headlines, companies like ASML enable the entire industry’s progress.
With shares trading near record levels and AI demand showing few signs of abating, ASML remains one of the most watched names in European and global tech. Tuesday’s advance reflects growing conviction that the company’s monopoly in critical lithography tools will translate into sustained growth and shareholder value.
Whether the momentum carries through earnings and into the second half of the year will depend on execution, geopolitical stability and the continued appetite for advanced semiconductors. For now, investors appear optimistic that ASML is well-positioned to capitalize on the semiconductor supercycle.
Shares of JSW Energy plunged as much as 8% to their day’s low of Rs 512 on the BSE on Tuesday after it reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 574 crore for the March quarter, marking a 38% increase from Rs 414 crore recorded in the same period last year.
Revenue from operations rose sharply by 41% year-on-year to Rs 4,499 crore in Q4FY26, compared with Rs 3,189 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year. The company’s board has recommended a dividend of Rs 2 per equity share and fixed Friday, June 5, as the record date to identify shareholders eligible for the payout.
On a sequential basis, profit after tax grew 8% from Rs 529 crore reported in Q3FY26, while revenue increased 10% quarter-on-quarter from Rs 4,082 crore in the October-December quarter.
Total expenses during the quarter stood at Rs 4,666 crore, higher than Rs 4,366 crore in Q3FY26 and Rs 3,142 crore in Q4FY25. This reflects a rise of 7% sequentially and 48% on a yearly basis. The increase in expenditure was driven by higher fuel costs, employee expenses and finance costs, among other factors.
Advertisement
Power sales volume climbed 48% year-on-year to 11.7 billion units (BUs) from 7.9 BUs. Renewable energy generation rose 68% to 2.9 BUs from 1.7 BUs a year ago, while thermal generation increased 43% to 8.8 BUs from 6.2 BUs.
Live Events
Generation under long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) grew 25% year-on-year to 8.6 BUs from 6.9 BUs. Short-term PPA generation surged 201% to 3.1 BUs, compared with 1.0 BU in the year-ago period. JSW Energy’s cash and cash equivalents stood at Rs 10,013 crore during the quarter, reflecting a strong liquidity position. The company reported a net debt-to-equity ratio of 2.1x, while operational net debt-to-EBITDA stood at 5.2x.EBITDA for Q4FY26 jumped 72% year-on-year to Rs 2,602 crore from Rs 1,512 crore reported in the corresponding quarter last year.
JSW Energy shares are up 9.5% in the last 1 month and about 15% in the last 1 year.
The federal government is replacing the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount with a new minimum rate and is restricting negative gearing to new builds to boost housing stock.
The shares of Vodafone Idea dropped nearly 4% after the telecom giant issued a clarification on a report claiming that its parent Vodafone Plc plans to transfer part of its stake to the company itself, which had sparked an 8% rally in the share price yesterday.
UK-based Vodafone Plc, which owns a 19% stake in Vodafone Idea, was considering transferring part of its shareholding to the company itself for the Indian telco to hold in its treasury, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. It added that the share transfer would take place instead of Vodafone injecting more cash into the Indian business.
The company’s shares sharply rallied more than 8% on Monday despite the overall stock market crash following the report, which claimed that the move could boost the balance sheet of the loss-making Vodafone Idea, and help its current efforts to raise debt.
Vodafone Idea’s clarification
Advertisement
After exchanges sought clarification from Vodafone Idea following the sharp surge in share price, the company said that it has not yet received any communication related to this from the Vodafone Group.
Live Events
Vodafone Idea said that the report may possibly be referring to disclosures already made in December last year about the Contingent Liability Adjustment Mechanism (CLAM) arrangement. As part of the December exchange filing, which the company reshared yesterday, Vodafone Idea had announced that it amended a major agreement with its UK-based parent company to secure the recovery of nearly Rs 5,836 crore linked to liabilities arising from the 2017 Vodafone-Idea merger. Vodafone Idea share priceVodafone Idea shares have seen a significant surge recently, jumping 10% in one week and 28% in one month. Shares of the telecom company are up more than 2% in 2026 so far.
In the longer term, the stock jumped over 67% in one year, 69% in three years and more than 34% in five years. The company currently has a market capitalisation of more than Rs 1.26 lakh crore.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
Jyothy Labs shares declined 5% to Rs 225.20 during Tuesday’s trading session, extending losses for the second consecutive day. The stock has fallen nearly 15% over the two sessions following the company’s announcement that the licence agreements for the dishwashing brand Pril and the personal care brand Fa with Henkel will not be renewed beyond May 31, 2026.
On Saturday, Jyothy Labs said the decision marks the end of a nearly 15-year partnership between the two companies.
The company added that it is preparing for an “orderly transition” and plans to sharpen its focus on its owned brands, especially Exo in the dishwash category. While Pril has historically been Jyothy Labs’ flagship dishwash liquid brand, Exo has remained a strong player in the dishwash bars segment.
Jyothy Labs had acquired Henkel’s India consumer business in 2011 through a transaction involving brands, assets, and operations. Under the agreement, Pril and Fa were operated under fixed-term licence arrangements, whereas brands such as Mr White and Henko continued under perpetual licence agreements.
Advertisement
The company fully owns brands including Margo, Neem toothpaste, Tuhina, and Chek. Jyothy Labs also stated that discussions with Henkel regarding a possible renewal had been underway for several months, including the evaluation of “commercial and business continuity alternatives”.
Live Events
Share Price and Technical Indicators
Jyothy Labs currently commands a market capitalisation of Rs 8,300.88 crore. The stock touched a 52-week high of Rs 378.20. On the valuation front, the company is trading at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 26.14, while its price-to-sales (P/S) ratio stands at 2.46. The price-to-book (P/B) ratio is 5.48. Technically, the stock’s 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) is at 43.6. Typically, an RSI below 30 indicates oversold conditions, while a level above 70 suggests the stock may be overbought. Jyothy Labs is currently trading below all eight of its key simple moving averages (SMAs), signalling a bearish trend.
Institutional sentiment remained subdued during the March 2026 quarter. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) trimmed their stake from 12.77% to 12.35%, while Mutual Fund holdings declined from 13.73% to 13.15%.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
The company’s new food items are proving popular and ‘appealing to new and younger customers’
08:55, 12 May 2026Updated 09:05, 12 May 2026
Greggs has announced a rise in sales as new items prove popular(Image: ChronicleLive)
North East food-on-the-go firm Greggs has toasted a rise in sales after announcing its first overseas shop launch. The Newcastle firm has announced results for the first 19 weeks of the year, showing total sales are up 7.5% to £800m.
Like-for-like sales in company-managed shops grew by 2.5% in the first 19 weeks of 2026, and improved to 3.3% in the most recent 10 weeks, as sales of its new menu items took off. Greggs said its new food items including matcha drink, tandoori chicken pizza slice, and its chicken roll – its chicken version of its bestselling sausage roll – were proving popular.
Advertisement
Tapping into demand in the market for protein meals, new salads were also launched last week to include chicken caesar and chicken, grains and greens. The firm said its partnerships with franchisees and grocery retailers are progressing well and contributing to the growth in overall sales.
It also said it has made “encouraging” profit progress in the year to date, partly reflecting a weak comparator period but also good operational cost control.
In a trading update it said: “The launch of our new chicken roll in April has been a standout, quickly establishing itself as a customer favourite and complementing our iconic sausage roll and vegan roll.
Greggs Chicken Roll is a new permanent addition to its menu(Image: Samantha Bartlett)
“Our drinks range has also been energised through flavour-led innovation across iced coffees, lemonades and refreshers, with the launch of matcha – which has proved extremely popular – marking an important step in appealing to new and younger customers.
Advertisement
“Together, these launches reflect our focus on relevance and innovation, while staying true to the familiar quality customers expect from Greggs.”
Meanwhile, Greggs is continuing to target the opening of around 120 shops this year – while announcing it has Tenerife as the location for a new international outlet.
In the update to shareholders it said: “In the coming weeks we will open our first shop in an airport outside the UK, working in partnership with leading global travel operator Lagardère Travel Retail at Tenerife South Airport. Tenerife South is a destination for millions of UK and international passengers each year and represents an excellent opportunity to test our offering in an international travel hub.”
The bakery chain, which runs 2,759 shops, also warned that it could be facing higher costs if the Iran war continues.
Advertisement
It added: “We are monitoring the situation in the Middle East and should the conflict continue and become prolonged we, like all food retailers, will likely see higher overall cost inflation through the end of 2026 and into 2027. In this uncertain environment, our value offer remains highly attractive as customers look to make their money go further.”
You must be logged in to post a comment Login