ASML Holding N.V. saw its U.S.-listed shares advance sharply on Friday, closing 4.6% higher at $1,413. The move tracked a significant 5.7% gain in the PHLX semiconductor index, fueled by renewed optimism around artificial intelligence infrastructure spending.
Big Tech Spending Fuels Sector Rally
The rally was ignited after technology giants Amazon and Alphabet indicated plans to increase capital expenditures on data centers and hardware, accelerating the race for AI capabilities. This sentiment lifted other major chip equipment manufacturers, with Applied Materials rising 6.1%, Lam Research gaining 8.2%, and KLA finishing up 8.4% for the session.
ASML, a critical supplier of advanced lithography systems for cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing, serves as a key indicator of chipmaker investment appetite. The company reported full-year 2025 net sales of €32.7 billion and net income of €9.6 billion. Its fourth-quarter net bookings reached €13.2 billion, pushing its order backlog to €38.8 billion.
Upcoming Corporate and Macro Events
Investors are now looking ahead to several imminent events. ASML has set its interim dividend ex-dates for February 9 on Euronext Amsterdam and February 10 on Nasdaq, with a payment date of February 18. The dividend is set at €1.60 per ordinary share.
Market attention will also shift to key U.S. economic releases scheduled for the coming week. The Labor Department will publish January employment figures on Wednesday, February 11, followed by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for January on Friday, February 13. These data points are closely watched for signals on the Federal Reserve's interest rate path, which significantly impacts valuation-sensitive technology stocks.
CEO Christophe Fouquet noted that customers are growing "more positive" about sustained AI-driven demand. The company provided 2026 net sales guidance in a range of €34 to €39 billion and announced a new share repurchase program of up to €12 billion.
However, analysts caution that the sector's momentum remains sensitive to shifts in spending plans from cloud providers and potential delays in chipmaker equipment orders. A higher-than-anticipated inflation reading could also prompt a reassessment of interest rate cut expectations, applying pressure to sector valuations.
