Driven by gains among their Asian counterparts, European semiconductor stocks rose, with the sector’s momentum growing increasingly strong. Dutch chip equipment giants BE Semiconductors, ASML, and ASM International rose 3.1%, 3.4%, and 1.9%, respectively. German semiconductor systems supplier Suss Microtec rose 4.55%, while STMicroelectronics gained 1.1% on the Paris stock exchange. In a report, Yingfeng analyst Sabine Truong noted: “The memory cycle is entering a phase of strong growth in 2026, and demand for semiconductor equipment and related enabling technologies will gradually increase over the coming quarters. ” Additionally, chip companies will benefit from increased demand from defense manufacturers, as U.S. intervention in the situation in Venezuela has sparked a new round of concerns regarding the threat level.