ASML Q4 Earnings Exceed Expectations, Stock Rises 5%
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1h ago
0mins
Source: Fool
- Earnings Beat: ASML reported bookings of $15.8 billion in Q4, significantly surpassing analysts' expectations of $7.57 billion, leading to a stock price increase of over 5%, reflecting strong demand and market confidence in the semiconductor sector.
- Shareholder Returns: The company plans to increase its full-year dividend by 17% and initiate a stock buyback program of up to $10.4 billion, aimed at enhancing shareholder value and attracting more investor interest.
- Layoff Impact: Despite announcing layoffs of 1,700 employees, representing 3.8% of its workforce, CEO Christophe Fouquet noted customer optimism regarding AI-related demand, which is expected to drive an increase in medium-term capacity plans, indicating confidence in future growth.
- Sales Guidance Upgrade: ASML expects total net sales for 2026 to increase between 4% and 19%, a positive outlook that not only boosts market confidence but also contributed to a roughly 0.9% rise in Nasdaq futures.
Analyst Views on META
Wall Street analysts forecast META stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for META is 824.71 USD with a low forecast of 655.15 USD and a high forecast of 1117 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
44 Analyst Rating
37 Buy
6 Hold
1 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 672.970
Low
655.15
Averages
824.71
High
1117
Current: 672.970
Low
655.15
Averages
824.71
High
1117
About META
Meta Platforms, Inc. is building human connections, powered by artificial intelligence and immersive technologies. The Company's products enable people to connect and share with friends and family through mobile devices, personal computers, virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) headsets, augmented reality (AR), and wearables. It also helps people discover and learn about what is going on in the world around them, enabling people to share their experiences, ideas, photos, videos, and other content with audiences ranging from their closest family members and friends to the public at large. The Company's segments include Family of Apps (FoA) and Reality Labs (RL). FoA segment includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads. RL segment includes its virtual, augmented, and mixed reality related consumer hardware, software and content. Its product offerings in VR include its Meta Quest devices, as well as software and content available through the Meta Horizon Store.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
