The year started well for ASML. Turnover in the first three months was higher than expected, says CEO Peter Wennink. Gross margin was also above expectations. The volume of “old” DUV and holistic lithograph products supplied was particularly high, but the new EUV also performed well. Wennink: “During the first quarter we shipped three EUV systems and an additional system is currently being shipped. The continued growth of our EUV activities is confirmed by a further nine orders in the first quarter.”
Wennink is pleased to note that its main customers are having a public discussion around the desire to producing large quantities of EUV machines from the end of the year. “We will support this with a plan to ship 20 EUV systems in 2018 and to have a production capacity of at least 30 systems in 2019. Furthermore, with regard to the next generation EUV platform, High-NA, we received the first four orders from three customers and also sold options to purchase a further eight systems.”
High-NA is an extension of EUV lithography and will continue to enable geometric chip scaling after the next decade, according to the ASML CEO. “With a resolution and overlay option 70 per cent better than today’s most advanced EUV systems.”
Wennink: “Overall, we have had a good start to the year and we reiterate our expectation of continued solid growth in 2018, both in terms of sales and profitability.”
Net sales in the first quarter amounted to €2.29 billion, net profit to €540 million, with a gross margin of 48.7 percent. ASML expects net sales of more than €2.5 billion and a gross margin of approximately 43 percent in the second quarter of 2018, as a result of a significant increase in the sale of EUVs.
