(Reuters) – Shares of ASML (AS:) and other companies in the European computer chip equipment sector saw an increase on Thursday following a report by Bloomberg News suggesting that potential U.S. restrictions on the Chinese semiconductor industry might not be as severe as initially anticipated.
ASML’s shares rose by 4.3% as of 0809 GMT, while Dutch competitors BE Semiconductor and ASM International (AS:) also experienced gains of 5% and 2.9% respectively, making them top performers on the European benchmark index.
The Bloomberg report, citing anonymous sources, indicated that the major Chinese memory chip manufacturer ChangXin Memory Technologies Inc (CXMT) may not be included in U.S. trade restriction lists. However, the exact timing and details of this decision remain uncertain.
The U.S. Commerce Department, responsible for overseeing export restrictions on China, is expected to provide new guidance post the Thanksgiving holiday.
ASML, the leading supplier of semiconductor-making equipment, chose not to comment on the matter. During an investor day two weeks back, the company mentioned that it anticipates a decrease in sales of its tools to China, projecting it to account for only 20% of total sales by 2025, down from nearly 50% over the past six quarters.
Other notable suppliers in the computer equipment sector include U.S. firms like Applied Materials (NASDAQ:)