ASML Holding NV (ASML) has published its 2021 fourth-quarter and full-year results.

Q4 net sales of EUR5.0 billion, gross margin of 54.2%, net income of EUR1.8 billion

Q4 net bookings of EUR7.1 billion2

2021 net sales of EUR18.6 billion, gross margin of 52.7%, net income of EUR5.9 billion

ASML expects Q1 2022 net sales between EUR3.3 billion and EUR3.5 billion and a gross margin of around 49%

Approximately EUR2 billion worth of sales that are expected to ship in the first quarter are not included in this number, and will be recognized in subsequent quarters after formal customer acceptance tests are completed in the field

ASML expects 2022 net sales to grow around 20% compared to 2021. The expected impact of the fire in part of a building at our Berlin site is included in this. Based on our current insights, we believe we can manage the consequences of this fire without significant impact on our system output for 2022

ASML intends to declare a total dividend over 2021 of EUR5.50 per ordinary share (100% increase compared to previous year)

CEO statement and outlook

'Our fourth-quarter net sales came in at EUR5.0 billion which is within our guidance. The gross margin of 54.2%, is higher than guided due to strong Installed Base revenue. Our fourth-quarter net bookings came in at EUR7.1 billion, including EUR2.6 billion from 0.33 NA and 0.55 NA EUV systems.

'The total net sales for the year was EUR18.6 billion, including EUR6.3 billion from 42 EUV systems. For ASML, 2021 was a strong growth year in a dynamic environment.

'We experience higher demand for our systems than our production capacity can accommodate. Very strong demand in end markets puts pressure on our customers for more wafer output. In order to support our customers, we are providing them with high-productivity upgrade solutions for their installed base, and we are reducing cycle time in our factory to ship more systems. One way to reduce cycle time is through a fast shipment process that skips some of the testing in our factory. Final testing and formal acceptance then takes place at the customer site. This leads to a deferral of revenue recognition for those shipments until formal customer acceptance, but does provide our customers with earlier access to wafer output capacity.

'ASML expects first-quarter net sales between EUR3.3 billion and EUR3.5 billion with a gross margin of around 49%. ASML expects R&D costs of around EUR760 million and SG&A costs of around EUR210 million. The lower net sales guidance for the first quarter is due to a significant number of fast shipments, translating to approximately EUR2 billion of expected revenue shift from the first quarter to subsequent quarters. Looking at the full year - even taking into account our current expectation of fast-shipment-related revenue shifts of six EUV systems into 2023 - we expect a revenue growth of around 20%,' said ASML President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Wennink.

Products and business highlights

In our EUV business, we received one order for the TWINSCAN EXE:5000 in the fourth quarter. We already received four orders in 2018.

Early 2022, we received the first order for the next generation, TWINSCAN EXE:5200, marking the next step on the path to 0.55 NA EUV introduction.

In our DUV business, the XT:860N was shipped to its first customer at the end of 2021. This KrF system offers improved performance and a lower cost per exposure.

In 2022 we will add KrF to the NXT platform with the introduction of the NXT:870, allowing us to make a significant step in productivity and cost of ownership, building on the existing experience on this platform in ArFi and ArF dry.

In our Applications business, shipment of the first eScan1100 multibeam inspection system designed for high-volume manufacturing is planned in the coming weeks. With 25 beams (5x5), we expect the eScan1100 to increase throughput up to 15 times compared to single e-beam inspection tools for targeted in-line defect inspection applications.

Dividend proposal and share buyback program update

ASML intends to declare a total dividend in respect of 2021 of EUR5.50 per ordinary share. Recognizing the interim dividend of EUR1.80 per ordinary share paid in November 2021, this leads to a final dividend proposal to the General Meeting of EUR3.70 per ordinary share. The total 2021 dividend is a 100% increase compared to the 2020 total dividend of EUR2.75 per ordinary share.

As part of its financial policy to return excess cash to its shareholders through growing annualized dividends and regularly timed share buybacks, ASML executes a share buyback program which started on July 22, 2021, and is to be closed by December 31, 2023. As part of this program, ASML intends to repurchase shares up to an amount of EUR9 billion, of which we expect a total of up to 0.45 million shares will be used to cover employee share plans. ASML intends to cancel the remainder of the shares repurchased. In the fourth quarter, we purchased around EUR2.5 billion of shares under the current program.

The share buyback program will be executed within the limitations of the existing authority granted by the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) on April 29, 2021, and of the authority to be granted by future AGMs. The share buyback program may be suspended, modified or discontinued at any time. All transactions under this program will be published on ASML's website (www.asml.com/investors) on a weekly basis.

Quarterly video interview, press conference and investor call

With this press release, ASML has published a video interview in which CEO Peter Wennink discusses the 2021 fourth-quarter and full-year results and outlook for 2022. This video and the transcript can be viewed on www.asml.com.

CEO Peter Wennink and CFO Roger Dassen will host a virtual press conference in Veldhoven on January 19, 2022, at 11:00 Central European Time, which will be accessible via live webcast on www.asml.com.

An investor call for both investors and the media will be hosted by CEO Peter Wennink and CFO Roger Dassen on January 19, 2022 at 15:00 Central European Time / 09:00 US Eastern Time. Details can be found on our website.

Contact:

Monique Mols

Head of Media Relations

T: +31 652 844 418

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