ASML: Dominating the industry 💾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).
ASML's lithography systems use a process called photolithography to create intricate patterns on silicon wafers, which are then used to create integrated circuits, memory chips, and other semiconductor components. These patterns are created using a process of etching, deposition, and other techniques that require precise alignment and control.
ASML's customers are primarily semiconductor manufacturers such as Intel, Samsung, TSMC, and GlobalFoundries. These companies use ASML's lithography systems to create the most advanced microchips on the market. ASML's customers are some of the largest and most influential players in the semiconductor industry, and they rely on ASML to provide them with cutting-edge technology that enables them to stay ahead of the competition.
ASML's business model is based on a high degree of innovation and research and development. They invest heavily in R&D to continually improve their technology and maintain their market leadership. Additionally, they operate on a capital-intensive model, where the cost of producing their lithography systems is high but the revenue potential is also significant.
Overall, ASML's business model is centered around developing and selling advanced lithography systems to the world's leading semiconductor manufacturers, which requires a high degree of technological innovation, R&D investment, and capital-intensive production processes.
There are other companies that offer lithography systems for the semiconductor industry, such as Canon, Carl Zeiss, and Ultratech, but they do not directly compete with ASML in the advanced lithography segment of the market. These companies generally offer less advanced lithography systems that are used for less complex microchip manufacturing applications.
ASML's main customers are some of the largest semiconductor manufacturers in the world. These companies use ASML's lithography systems to manufacture advanced semiconductor chips for a wide range of applications, including smartphones, computers, servers, and other electronic devices.
Some of ASML's key customers include:
- TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company)
- Samsung Electronics
- Intel Corporation
- SK Hynix
- Micron Technology
- GlobalFoundries
- UMC (United Microelectronics Corporation)
- STMicroelectronics
- Toshiba Memory Corporation
- Nanya Technology
With the underlying business performing so well over the years, its no surprise to see the stock has followed suit. Since 1996, ASML has returned +23.38% CAGR compared to +9.02% for SPY
At this rate of return HKEX:10 ,000 invested in ASML back in 1996 would have grown to over HKEX:3 million!
The strong market position and outlook for the business make me believe that the company will not be slowing down any time soon, and even at a valuation of 36x earnings I think this is a business trading at a fair value.
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