Dutch company ASML, a key global supplier of computer chip-making systems, said Wednesday net profits had jumped 32 percent in the third quarter and maintained its outlook to achieve record sales by the end of 2011.
For the three months to September, ASML said net profit came in at 355 million euros, above a composite estimate of 335.8 million by analysts surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires.
"Despite the current turbulent macro-economic environment, ASMLs strong business model and the industry need for the latest lithography technologies enable us to reiterate our expectation of 2011 revenues of about 5.5 billion euros," chief executive Eric Meurice said in a statement.
Third quarter new orders came to 23 worth 514 million euros, down from 34 orders in the three months to June.
The company has about 7,800 employees in 16 countries. It claims to be the world's leading provider of lithography systems for the semiconductor industry, manufacturing machines for the production of integrated circuits or chips.
The company said it would not yet provide an outlook for 2012 as it was too early to anticipate the business environment next year.
"Customers are very uncertain about what the future is going to bring," chief financial officer Peter Wennink told AFP.
ASML posted record sales and profits in 2010 with an order book worth 3.86 billion euros.
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