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Market Data Table

Breakfast News: ASML Shows Why It's Europe's MVP

April 15, 2026

Tuesday's Markets
S&P 500 6,967 (+1.18%)
Nasdaq 23,639 (+1.96%)
Dow 48,536 (+0.66%)
Bitcoin $74,325 (+1.71%)

Chart comparing ASML's stock performance over the past three years to that of the S&P 500, with ASML up 138% and the S&P up 68% as of early 2026.

1) ASML Beats Expectations on AI Surge

ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML) reported beats on first-quarter revenue and earnings expectations this morning and raised full-year net sales guidance to between $42.4 billion and $47.2 billion -- as artificial intelligence (AI) spending continues to drive semiconductor production growth. Weaker-than-expected sales forecasts for Q2, however, held the stock back -- it gained around 1% pre-market.

"We expect … supply will not meet the demand for the foreseeable future": CEO Christophe Fouquet highlighted the growth potential for ASML, the only maker of the extreme ultraviolet lithography machines needed to fabricate advanced chips for companies like Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA).
"ASML controls the bleeding edge of semiconductor manufacturing and is Europe's most valuable company": Fool analyst Loren Horst earlier this year described ASML as "a potentially significant missing piece for portfolios built around U.S. large-cap indexes."

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2) Banks Break Records

Banks are posting record earnings in the first quarter, as geopolitical crises -- including the Iran conflict -- have caused major market volatility. Between them, JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM), Citigroup (NYSE:C), and Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) totaled more than $25 billion in profit in Q1, says the FT. The report points out that market turmoil is good for investment banks, as client trading volumes climb.

Revenue growth across all business segments: Markets revenue led quarterly growth at Citigroup, gaining 19% year over year (YOY) -- though credit loss provisions reached $2.8 billion. The stock closed yesterday 2.6% ahead. Wells Fargo, however, lost 5.7%, despite a 15% rise in earnings per share (EPS).
"The U.S. economy remained resilient in the quarter": At JPMorgan, meanwhile, CEO Jamie Dimon explained that "fiscal stimulus, the benefits of deregulation, AI-driven capital investment and the Fed's asset purchases" are all supporting economic strength. The stock dipped 0.8% by close.

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3) The Pick of Pre-Market Earnings

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) reported Q1 net income of $8.6 billion before the opening bell, for a 17% rise compared to a year ago -- on the back of a 7% rise in revenue YOY. CEO Brian Moynihan spoke of "healthy client activity, including solid consumer spending and stable asset quality, indicating a resilient American economy." The stock rose around 1% in response.
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) also reports before market open after posting record revenue of $70.6 billion for the 2025 fiscal year. Wall Street expects investment banking strength and mergers and acquisitions (M&A)) activity to help boost EPS this quarter by around 12% YOY. Watch also for progress in AI use in client services.
Progressive (NYSE:PGR) is expected to build on an impressive fiscal 2025, which saw the company end the year with a private auto insurance market share of around 18.5%. We should keep our eyes open for regulatory pressures, though AI-driven claims processing should help control costs.

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