ASML 3Q Net Profit Up 32%, No Outlook On 2012
1:28 AM ET 10/12/11
AMSTERDAM (Dow Jones)--Semiconductor equipment maker ASML Holding NV (ASML.AE) said Wednesday it's on track to achieve full-year sales of about EUR5.5 billion, after posting a 32% increase in third-quarter net profit, but declined to give guidance for 2012.
ASML, the world's largest maker of lithography systems that map out electronic circuits on silicon wafers, posted a net profit of EUR355 million in the three months ended Sept. 30, up from EUR269 million a year earlier. Sales rose to EUR1.46 billion from EUR1.18 billion.
The Veldhoven, the Netherlands-based company--which counts the world's largest chipmakers such as Intel Corp. (INTC) and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (005930.SE) among its customers--benefited from a strong order book, as demand for chips has increased over the past year, buoyed by the popularity of smartphones and tablet PCs.
However, demand dipped in the recent quarter, when net bookings fell to EUR514 million from EUR1.3 billion a year earlier, raising new uncertainties about demand in the light of decreasing spending on consumer electronics and uncertainties about the global economy.
In the fourth quarter, ASML expects orders to be above the third quarter and sales to be above EUR1.1 billion. |
