### ASML's Shares Plummet After Lowered Sales Forecast and Accidental Results Release

Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML experienced a significant drop in its stock prices, down 15.6% on Tuesday, following the early release of underwhelming sales forecasts. This premature publication was attributed to a technical glitch that mistakenly made the report accessible on a part of the company’s website.

ASML announced it expects net sales for 2025 to range between 30 billion euros and 35 billion euros ($32.7 billion and $38.1 billion), placing its prediction at the lower end of the previous guidance. The company’s net bookings for the third quarter came in at 2.6 billion euros ($2.83 billion), falling short of the 5.6 billion euro estimate by LSEG. Despite net sales exceeding expectations at 7.5 billion euros, the market's reaction was overwhelmingly negative.

Adding to the concerns, Chief Financial Officer Roger Dassen forecasted that China will contribute about 20% to the company’s total revenue next year, compared to 49% disclosed in the June-quarter earnings. This shift is partly due to newly imposed U.S. and Dutch export restrictions on critical technologies, including advanced chipmaking tools, affecting ASML’s business with China.

The pessimistic outlook also impacted other prominent chip stocks. Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, and Broadcom each saw a decline of at least 4% following the news. Analysts at Bernstein pointed out that the weakened order book and grim 2025 forecast are likely to overshadow ASML’s decent Q3 performance. Cantor analysts further noted that while the outlook is disappointing, it does not imply any downturn in the ongoing growth of AI technologies.

ASML’s CEO Christophe Fouquet acknowledged the slow recovery in certain market segments, suggesting a more gradual rebound than initially anticipated despite robust developments in AI. This cautious stance underscores the challenges faced by one of the primary suppliers to the global semiconductor industry.

The accidental early release of financial results and subsequent revisions pose concerns for investors, reflecting the unstable climate in the high-tech sector amid geopolitical and economic headwinds.