ASML Holding NV (ASML) shares jumped 2.7% on May 21, reaching an intraday high of $1,601.79, after a wave of analyst upgrades. UBS named ASML its top European semiconductor pick and raised its price target, while Goldman Sachs reiterated a Buy rating and also lifted its target. Barclays upgraded the stock to Buy. The consensus analyst rating is Moderate Buy with a price target of $1,504.38, below current trading levels. The stock also flashed a “golden cross” and broke above its 20-day moving average, confirming short-term momentum. ASML’s CEO highlighted tight semiconductor supply as demand from AI, satellites, and robotics outpaces capacity, reinforcing the company’s ‘picks and shovels’ role in the AI boom.
On the fundamentals, ASML reported Q1 2026 net sales of €8.8 billion, a 53% gross margin, and net income of €2.8 billion. Q2 guidance ranges from €8.4–9.0 billion in sales with margins between 51–52%. Full-year EPS is forecast at $37.10. The company also signed an MoU with Tata Electronics to support India’s first commercial 300mm semiconductor fab in Dholera, Gujarat—a long-term growth story.
In a separate development, ASML raised its Taiwan hiring target from 600 to 1,000 employees, responding to surging demand from major chipmakers like TSMC. Taiwan remains its largest Asian base with over 4,500 staff. A new $954 million facility in New Taipei will accommodate 2,000 workers, reinforcing ASML’s strategic presence. The hiring surge underscores persistent labor shortages in Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, where over 22,800 engineering roles were unfilled between Q3 2022 and Q2 2023.
