On July 21, ASML rose 3.18% in regular trading, trading at $1,804.05/share, with turnover of $4.55 billion. The rally was driven by the company's strong Q2 earnings report and an unprecedented employee retention program.

ASML reported Q2 net sales of EUR 9.3 billion, net profit of EUR 2.9 billion, and a gross margin of 54%. The company raised its full-year guidance for the second time this year to EUR 43-45 billion, with Q3 net sales expected between EUR 11-12 billion and gross margins climbing to 55%-57%. The quarter saw 91 lithography systems shipped, up 20% year-over-year.

Additionally, ASML announced a one-time EUR 20,000 conditional stock award to all approximately 45,000 eligible employees globally, with shares vesting for those who remain through 2030. Multiple investment banks raised target prices in response, including Bernstein to EUR 2,500, JPMorgan to EUR 2,100, Citi to EUR 2,200, and Bank of America to EUR 2,452. The broader semiconductor equipment sector rallied in tandem, with Applied Materials up 6.62%, Teradyne up 8.59%, Lam Research up 4.51%, and KLA-Tencor up 4.15%.

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