Amsterdam, February 9, 2026, 13:44 CET — Regular session on tap.
- Shares of ASML (ASML.AS) slipped roughly 0.9% in Amsterdam after going ex-dividend.
- Europe’s imec has launched its €2.5 billion “NanoIC” pilot line. ASML stands out as the biggest private backer, and a High-NA EUV tool is slated to arrive in March.
- Investors are watching for U.S. data this week and keeping an eye on the upcoming report on AI-related chip demand.
ASML Holding dropped roughly 0.9% to 1,182.60 euros in Amsterdam trading Monday, moving lower as the Dutch chip equipment giant went ex-dividend. Shares finished Friday at 1,193.80 euros. Monday’s range landed between 1,177.40 and 1,204.40 euros. 1
Shares lose the next payout once they go ex-dividend. ASML announced an interim dividend of 1.60 euros a share, scheduled for payment on Feb. 18. The Nasdaq-listed stock trades ex-dividend on Feb. 10, which is also the record date, according to the company. 2
ASML shares were in focus after Belgium’s imec launched its 2.5 billion-euro “NanoIC” pilot line, a project rolled out under the EU Chips Act aiming to boost Europe’s slice of the semiconductor market to 20% by 2030. The initiative is receiving 1.4 billion euros in public money plus 1.1 billion from private investors—ASML being the biggest player on the private side. Imec is set to get ASML’s High-NA EUV tool in March. “We are all very proud and thankful that this is happening at the heart of Europe,” said ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet. Imec CEO Luc Van den hove called the new line “crucial” for Europe as AI takes off. 3
ASML’s high-NA EUV machines represent the next step forward in extreme ultraviolet lithography, pushing patterning on silicon to even finer scales. This ramp-up is critical—it’s aimed at sub-2-nanometre chip production, so any hiccups or hold-ups could disrupt fab construction plans and tool demand down the line.
Chip stocks outside Europe remained volatile. On Monday, Wall Street futures edged lower, with traders eyeing tech giants’ AI investment plans and bracing for U.S. payroll numbers on Wednesday, followed by inflation data Friday. Nvidia’s results, expected later this month, cast a shadow over the chip sector. “I’m not surprised … futures are down,” said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior market analyst at Swissquote Bank. 4
Dividend moves can cloud the tape for a session or more. What matters for ASML: customer spending, delivery timing—those will tell the real story, especially as the broader AI trade either calms or stays jumpy.
ASML leads the lithography market. Downstream, Applied Materials, Lam Research, and Tokyo Electron provide gear for other stages of chip production. Slowdowns in new fab projects tend to ripple through the whole group—not just a single supplier.
Up next on the corporate schedule: ASML’s annual report lands Feb. 25, with Q1 results slated for April 15. 5
