Musk Highlights ASML's Importance in Chip Manufacturing
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jun 11 2026
0mins
Source: CNBC
- Terafab Project: Musk emphasized during ASML's annual technology conference that the Terafab project will pivot SpaceX from rocket manufacturing to advanced chip production, with an estimated investment between $55 billion and $119 billion, reflecting a significant commitment to future technology.
- ASML's Unique Position: ASML is the only company globally producing the $400 million extreme ultraviolet lithography machine, and without it, leading chip manufacturers like TSMC, Samsung, and Intel cannot produce cutting-edge AI chips, underscoring its critical role in the global chip supply chain.
- Tax Incentive Support: SpaceX secured tax incentives for the Terafab project in Texas despite local opposition, which will help reduce project costs and accelerate construction, further solidifying SpaceX's position in the chip manufacturing sector.
- Employee Opposition: While Musk's remarks highlighted ASML's significance, some employees expressed opposition to his political involvement, arguing it conflicts with ASML's neutral values, potentially impacting the company's image and employee morale.
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Analyst Views on ASML
Wall Street analysts forecast ASML stock price to fall
12 Analyst Rating
12 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 1867.830
Low
1385
Averages
1583
High
1911
Current: 1867.830
Low
1385
Averages
1583
High
1911
About ASML
ASML Holding N.V. is a holding company based in the Netherlands. The Company operates through its subsidiaries in the Netherlands, the United States, Italy, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia and Israel. The Company operates through one business segment which is engage in development, production, marketing, sales, upgrading and servicing of advanced semiconductor equipment systems, consisting of lithography, metrology and inspection systems. The Company offers TWINSCAN systems, equipped with lithography system with a mercury lamp as light source (i-line), Krypton Fluoride (KrF) and Argon Fluoride (ArF) light sources for processing wafers for manufacturing environments for which imaging at a small resolution is required. TWINSCAN systems also include immersion lithography systems (TWINSCAN immersion systems).
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.
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- Export Restrictions Context: EUV machines are critical for producing advanced chips, and ASML has never been permitted to ship such systems to China under U.S.-led export restrictions, highlighting its significance in the global semiconductor supply chain.
- ASML's Strong Denial: ASML firmly denied shipping any EUV machines or components designed for EUV systems to China, emphasizing that its equipment weighs about 180 tons, is roughly the size of a school bus, and is produced in limited quantities requiring ongoing service support.
- Market Sentiment Impact: Given ASML's central role in the AI chip supply chain, any export control disputes could negatively affect sentiment around semiconductor equipment stocks, further exacerbating investor unease.
See More
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- Export Concerns: US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick raised significant concerns during meetings with ASML's senior leaders regarding potential violations of export restrictions, particularly the risk of its EUV machines reaching China, posing a substantial threat to ASML's international operations.
- Technological Significance: EUV systems are crucial for companies like TSMC in manufacturing processors, and ASML's equipment plays a pivotal role in the global semiconductor industry; failure to comply with export regulations could adversely affect its market share and client relationships.
- Company's Rebuttal: ASML asserts that it has never shipped EUV machines or related components to China, emphasizing that its equipment is produced in limited quantities and requires ongoing maintenance, indicating the company's commitment to compliance and market integrity.
- Market Performance: ASML recently surpassed a market value of $700 billion for the first time, reflecting investor confidence in its central role in the AI-driven semiconductor market, despite the challenges posed by export restrictions, showcasing strong market sentiment.
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- International Market Response: While US stocks declined, overseas markets performed strongly, with the Euro Stoxx 50 reaching a new record high and closing up 0.68%, demonstrating global investor confidence in economic recovery, which may contrast with the US market's performance.
See More
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- Impact of SpaceX IPO: SpaceX's successful IPO, achieving a valuation of $2.5 trillion and raising over $80 billion in cash, is expected to lead to significant investments in semiconductors, particularly AI chips, boosting demand for Intel's products.
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See More
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- Strong AI Infrastructure Demand: Fouquet emphasized the continued strength of AI infrastructure demand, describing it as enormous, indicating that ASML will face greater growth potential in emerging areas such as data centers in the future.
- Space Data Center Prospects: At the Vivatech conference in Paris, Fouquet discussed the potential for data centers in space, suggesting new market demands may arise, further driving ASML's technology applications and market expansion.
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See More
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- Supply Chain Assurance: ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet emphasized the critical need to avoid supply constraints when servicing new projects like Terafab, which will directly impact the company's competitiveness and project success in emerging markets.
- AI Infrastructure Demand: Fouquet noted that the demand for AI infrastructure remains 'enormous', indicating significant opportunities for the company in future technology investments and market expansion, particularly in the data center sector.
- Terafab Project Collaboration: ASML confirmed its collaboration with SpaceX on the Terafab project, which plans to establish a semiconductor facility in Austin, Texas, with an anticipated investment of $55 billion, showcasing the company's strategic positioning in the semiconductor industry.
- Industry Leadership: ASML's extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems provide essential technological support for companies like TSMC and Intel in manufacturing advanced chips, further solidifying its leadership position in the global semiconductor equipment market.
See More
ASML Faces New U.S. Scrutiny Over EUV Machine Concerns
- U.S. Scrutiny Intensifies: U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick raised concerns in meetings with ASML executives about a top EUV chipmaking machine potentially diverted to China, which has sparked market attention and could impact ASML's stock performance.
- Export Restrictions Context: EUV machines are critical for producing advanced chips, and ASML has never been permitted to ship such systems to China under U.S.-led export restrictions, highlighting its significance in the global semiconductor supply chain.
- ASML's Strong Denial: ASML firmly denied shipping any EUV machines or components designed for EUV systems to China, emphasizing that its equipment weighs about 180 tons, is roughly the size of a school bus, and is produced in limited quantities requiring ongoing service support.
- Market Sentiment Impact: Given ASML's central role in the AI chip supply chain, any export control disputes could negatively affect sentiment around semiconductor equipment stocks, further exacerbating investor unease.
See More
ASML Faces Major Challenge Under US Export Restrictions
- Export Concerns: US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick raised significant concerns during meetings with ASML's senior leaders regarding potential violations of export restrictions, particularly the risk of its EUV machines reaching China, posing a substantial threat to ASML's international operations.
- Technological Significance: EUV systems are crucial for companies like TSMC in manufacturing processors, and ASML's equipment plays a pivotal role in the global semiconductor industry; failure to comply with export regulations could adversely affect its market share and client relationships.
- Company's Rebuttal: ASML asserts that it has never shipped EUV machines or related components to China, emphasizing that its equipment is produced in limited quantities and requires ongoing maintenance, indicating the company's commitment to compliance and market integrity.
- Market Performance: ASML recently surpassed a market value of $700 billion for the first time, reflecting investor confidence in its central role in the AI-driven semiconductor market, despite the challenges posed by export restrictions, showcasing strong market sentiment.
See More
US Stocks Plunge as Tech Sector Weighs Down Market
- Market Weakness: On Wednesday, the S&P 500 Index fell by 1.21%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 0.98%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index declined by 0.99%, reflecting market concerns over potential interest rate hikes by the Fed, particularly amid weak performance in technology stocks.
- Economic Data Support: Despite the market downturn, US May retail sales rose by 0.9% month-over-month, surpassing expectations of 0.6%, indicating resilient consumer demand, while pending home sales increased by 3.8% month-over-month, marking the largest gain in 20 months, potentially providing some support to the market.
- Fed Policy Outlook: The Fed maintained interest rates at its meeting on Wednesday but indicated through its dot plot that at least one more 25 basis point hike is expected this year, with the 2026 year-end federal funds rate projection raised to 3.75%, reflecting a cautious outlook on future economic conditions.
- International Market Response: While US stocks declined, overseas markets performed strongly, with the Euro Stoxx 50 reaching a new record high and closing up 0.68%, demonstrating global investor confidence in economic recovery, which may contrast with the US market's performance.
See More
SpaceX IPO Boosts Intel Stock Recovery
- Stock Fluctuations: Intel's stock rose 4.3% on Monday, dropped on Tuesday, and rebounded on Wednesday, although it remains below the week's opening level, indicating market volatility in the semiconductor sector.
- Impact of SpaceX IPO: SpaceX's successful IPO, achieving a valuation of $2.5 trillion and raising over $80 billion in cash, is expected to lead to significant investments in semiconductors, particularly AI chips, boosting demand for Intel's products.
- AI Chip Demand: According to Lynx Equity, AI companies require substantial AI chips to train and deploy large language models, positioning Intel and Nvidia as key beneficiaries of SpaceX's spending strategy, enhancing their market presence.
- Strategic Partnership: Intel's collaboration with SpaceX to build the Terafab chip factory, which will also service Tesla, positions Intel to capitalize on the surging chip demand, potentially increasing its long-term growth prospects as a result of the SpaceX IPO phenomenon.
See More
ASML CEO Discusses New Semiconductor Opportunities
- New Project Potential: ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet indicated that Elon Musk's Terafab project could create significant business opportunities for the company, provided it effectively manages supply constraints, ensuring production capacity aligns with market demand.
- Strong AI Infrastructure Demand: Fouquet emphasized the continued strength of AI infrastructure demand, describing it as enormous, indicating that ASML will face greater growth potential in emerging areas such as data centers in the future.
- Space Data Center Prospects: At the Vivatech conference in Paris, Fouquet discussed the potential for data centers in space, suggesting new market demands may arise, further driving ASML's technology applications and market expansion.
- Unique Market Position: ASML remains the only producer of the most advanced lithography machines needed for manufacturing cutting-edge chips used in AI training, ensuring its unique competitive advantage and sustained growth in the semiconductor industry.
See More
ASML CEO Discusses Opportunities with Terafab Project
- Supply Chain Assurance: ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet emphasized the critical need to avoid supply constraints when servicing new projects like Terafab, which will directly impact the company's competitiveness and project success in emerging markets.
- AI Infrastructure Demand: Fouquet noted that the demand for AI infrastructure remains 'enormous', indicating significant opportunities for the company in future technology investments and market expansion, particularly in the data center sector.
- Terafab Project Collaboration: ASML confirmed its collaboration with SpaceX on the Terafab project, which plans to establish a semiconductor facility in Austin, Texas, with an anticipated investment of $55 billion, showcasing the company's strategic positioning in the semiconductor industry.
- Industry Leadership: ASML's extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems provide essential technological support for companies like TSMC and Intel in manufacturing advanced chips, further solidifying its leadership position in the global semiconductor equipment market.
See More
