ASML Holding NV (NASDAQ: ASML), a leading manufacturer of semiconductor production equipment, has surged into the top tier of momentum stocks according to the latest data from Benzinga Edge. The company's momentum score climbed impressively from 89.36 to 92.14 week-over-week, situating ASML in the 92nd percentile relative to its peers. This momentum uptick aligns with recent bullish assessments from Bernstein analysts who foresee notable growth for the company in the coming years.
ASML’s momentum metric, which evaluates a stock’s relative strength by assessing recent price movements and volatility, indicates that the company’s stock is performing exceptionally well compared to other securities in its sector. In conjunction with the momentum increase, ASML’s quality score registers at a strong 94.05, underscoring the company’s robust operational efficiency and a stable financial foundation.
The stock’s price trajectory reveals a consistent pattern of positive performance across multiple timeframes—short, medium, and long term—strengthening the technical case for its continued attractiveness to investors. This well-rounded upward trend is especially noteworthy as it reflects both near-term investor enthusiasm and longer-term confidence in ASML’s fundamentals and market positioning.
Bernstein’s recent upgrade of ASML to an “Outperform” rating included a significant price target increase to €1,300, signifying strong confidence in the company’s future earnings potential. Analyst David Dai from Bernstein has highlighted ASML as a “top pick” for 2026, pointing to a confluence of positive factors supporting demand growth. Key among these is accelerated investment in memory technologies and sustained demand for logic chips, both of which are expected to drive procurement of ASML's critical lithography equipment.
Dai anticipates that 2026 and 2027 will be pivotal years for ASML, particularly as the DRAM market experiences a recovery phase. Semiconductor manufacturers are preparing to considerably expand production capacity during this period, which will increase reliance on advanced lithography tools manufactured by ASML. The company’s expertise in enabling the production of next-generation chips at the “1c node” will be central to meeting the industry’s scaling challenges.
Bernstein analysts also argue that the lithography intensity, estimated to be 28% for the upcoming chip generations, validates a premium valuation for ASML despite its current price levels. They suggest that concerns about the company’s valuation should be balanced against the substantial technological demands and investment growth driving ASML’s equipment sales.
From a performance standpoint, ASML’s stock has delivered robust returns over recent periods. It has appreciated approximately 58.82% over the last six months and delivered a 76.14% gain across the past year. For the current calendar year, the stock shows a gain of 13.03%, indicating sustained investor interest and confidence. Most recently, ASML shares closed at $1,281.23, advancing modestly by 0.58% in the latest trading session.
The momentum gathering around ASML reflects wider trends in semiconductor manufacturing where high precision lithography equipment is indispensable for progressing to more complex chip architectures essential for AI, data centers, and consumer electronics chipmakers. The company’s integral role as a supplier to Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), one of the leading chip manufacturers benefiting from the AI boom, places ASML in a strategically important position within the semiconductor ecosystem.
Overall, ASML’s combination of strong market momentum, exemplary operational quality, and positive analyst outlook positions it as a critical player poised to capitalize on upcoming waves of semiconductor industry investment. However, investors should remain aware of the dynamic nature of chip markets and the dependencies on technological advancement cycles that influence ASML’s demand trajectory.