AES Corp vs ASML Holding NV — how do they compare? AES Corp trades at $14.7 (market cap $10.51B), while ASML Holding NV trades at $1,804.11 (market cap $671.92B). The key difference: ASML Holding NV is far larger — about 63.9× AES Corp's market cap, and AES Corp pays the higher dividend (4.78%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AES | ASML | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $10.51B | $671.92B |
Sector | Utilities | Technology |
52-Week High | $17.28 | $1.99K |
52-Week Low | $12.51 | $721.31 |
Enterprise Value | $40.77B | $665.45B |
Dividend Yield | 4.78% | 0.52% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
AES trades at $14.73, up 0.2% on the day, with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages. The company reported strong profitability with a net income margin of 14.34% and ROE of 45.05% for 2025, though Q2 2026 EPS missed expectations. A pending $33.4 billion acquisition by a consortium led by Global Infrastructure Partners and EQT, approved by stockholders, dominates recent developments, alongside a consistent dividend payout.
The acquisition offers a near-term catalyst with a capped upside at the buyout price of $15 per share, presenting a low-risk arbitrage opportunity. Risks include deal completion uncertainty amid shareholder complaints and regulatory scrutiny. Analyst consensus is mixed with 43% buy ratings, reflecting cautious optimism tied to the acquisition's successful closure and the company's strategic shift toward renewable energy investments.
ASML trades at $1,740.99, up 2.15% today, with a bullish technical signal and strong support near $1,721. The stock shows robust fundamentals with 2025 revenue of $32.67B and net income of $9.61B, though high valuation ratios like a P/E of 59.29 indicate premium pricing. Recent earnings beat expectations in Q1 and Q2 2026, and analyst consensus is bullish with a $2,390 price target.
Outlook remains positive driven by AI demand for semiconductor equipment, but risks include geopolitical tensions with China and high valuation sensitivity. Institutional sentiment is strong with 56.82% buy ratings, though competition and export curbs pose challenges to growth sustainability.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
AES is a global power company operating across 14 countries and 4 continents. Its current generation portfolio as of year-end 2021 consists of over 31 gigawatts of generation, with the generation mix composed of renewables (43%), gas (32%), coal (23%), and oil (2%). The company has 3.5 gigawatts of generation under construction. AES has majority ownership and operates six electric utilities distributing power to 2.6 million customers.
Read more on AES →Founded in 1984 and based in the Netherlands, ASML is the leader in photolithography systems used in the manufacturing of semiconductors. Photolithography is the process in which a light source is used to expose circuit patterns from a photomask onto a semiconductor wafer. The latest technological advances in this segment allow chipmakers to continually increase the number of transistors on the same area of silicon, with lithography historically representing a meaningful portion of the cost of making cutting-edge chips. Chipmakers require next-generation EUV lithography tools from ASML to continue past the 5-nanometer process node. ASML's products are used at every major semiconductor manufacturer, including Intel, Samsung, and TSMC.
Read more on ASML →