Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML on Wednesday reported better-than-expected net sales and profit results for the fourth quarter.

The CEO of Dutch chipmaking giant ASML warned investors they needed to get used to more DeepSeek-style “elephants in the room” as he projected optimism days after China’s surprise AI chatbot caused turmoil for Western tech stocks.

ASML Holding N.V.'s complex, high-cost business model and reliance on a few partners are mitigated by secular trends and continuous R&D investment. Learn more on ASML stock here.

Investors will seek reassurance that ASML's AI-dependent growth outlook for 2025 is secure despite a selloff sparked by China's DeepSeek, as the biggest supplier of equipment used to make computer chips ASML reports earnings on Wednesday.

The company posted orders well above analysts’ expectations for the fourth quarter as chip makers scrambled to get their hands on machinery to produce increasingly sophisticated semiconductors.

I reiterate a 'Buy' rating for ASML with a one-year target price of US$864 per share, driven by AI's continued growth.

ASML's shares rose by more than 7% today and were up by 4.1% as of 11:03 a.m. ET.

ASML shares have bounced back from the impact of DeepSeek. ASML predicts that low-cost AI models will boost demand for the firm's machines.

Computer chip equipment maker ASML's CEO on Wednesday made the case that the advent of efficient AI models such as one China's DeepSeek has launched is a net positive for chip markets. Christophe Fouquet said that perceptions of AI spending are skewed by the massive investments being made by "hyperscalers" - companies such as Google,

The company posted fourth-quarter orders well above analysts’ expectations as chip makers scrambled for machinery to produce increasingly sophisticated semiconductors.

ASML Holding NV surged the most since 2020 after booking orders worth twice as much as analysts expected, as the artificial intelligence boom fuels demand for its chipmaking machines.