AI boom powers European tech earnings to strongest growth in years

Due to rising demand for AI infrastructure, the European technology industry is experiencing a significant surge in earnings. European technology companies, especially those in the chipmaking and cloud industries, are the biggest outperformers in the economy. 

European technology companies are having one of their strongest earnings seasons in years due to a surge in global investment in artificial intelligence. Despite the ongoing trade tensions and the risks of uncertain supply chains, the sector is showing resilience and growth that far outpaces other parts of the economy.

The MSCI Europe Technology Index has recorded earnings-per-share (EPS) growth of 16% for the third quarter so far, with results from more than 86% of its market capitalization already reported. 

Before the earnings season began, analysts were expecting growth of only about 4.2%. No other major sector in Europe has come close to matching this performance.

European tech firms have outperformed expectations 

Companies in the semiconductor and software industries have been among the biggest beneficiaries of the surge in AI demand. The Dutch chip-equipment maker ASML Holding NV, for example, was one of the earliest companies to report results. It saw orders for its most advanced machines rise sharply. 

The strong demand has eased fears of a potential slowdown next year. According to JPMorgan analyst Sandeep Deshpande, the results suggest that “the bearish view of a worse than expected 2026 will be put to rest.”

Another Dutch company, BE Semiconductor Industries NV, also beat expectations with higher-than-expected orders and profits. The company admitted that its growth was largely driven by AI demand from Asian customers. 

Citigroup analyst Andrew M. Gardiner noted that there is a “growing disconnect between the many AI chip deals being announced and the amount of spending that has yet to show up in equipment orders.” He added that these deals would soon translate into real demand across the supply chain. “We expect this momentum to build,” Gardiner said.

AI demand resists trade tensions

The management of SAP SE, Europe’s most valuable technology company, stated that trade frictions and a weaker U.S. dollar have affected some of its client investment plans. 

However, the Chief Executive Officer, Christian Klein, reassured investors by linking artificial intelligence to the company’s future growth. “I’m very excited about AI becoming the key enabler of our growth,” he said during the company’s earnings call.

Telecommunications firms like Ericsson AB are also benefiting from the AI boom. The company posted strong quarterly profits after selling its call-routing business, while its rival Nokia Oyj delivered results that easily surpassed analyst expectations for the quarter. 

Cryptopolitan reported that Nokia’s growth was driven by AI and cloud infrastructure clients, especially in the United States. Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Matthew Bloxham and John Butler said that the “strong demand for fiber access, data-center connectivity, and transport networks, fueled by the AI super-cycle,” is responsible for the uptick in sales predictions for Nokia.

This broad optimism is fueled by the wave of spending on chips, data centers, and software tools supporting artificial intelligence applications. The trend has been accelerated by major deals signed by OpenAI Inc., whose partnerships for data centers and chip capacity now represent investments worth more than $1 trillion. 

These developments make investors confident that European tech firms, particularly those involved in chipmaking and cloud services, will benefit as the technology develops.

STMicroelectronics NV and Texas Instruments Inc. have reported that supply chain disruptions caused by the worsening U.S.-China trade tensions have caused customers in the automotive and industrial sectors to hold back on new orders. Washington is working to block exports of cutting-edge AI chips to China, while Beijing has introduced limits on the export of rare earth elements essential for semiconductor manufacturing.

The Dutch government, citing national security concerns, seized control of Nexperia, a Chinese-owned chip manufacturer. The result has been an increase in uncertainty in the auto industry. 

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