PREVIEW-ASML may positively surprise on bookings value

* Q3 results due Oct. 14 at 0500 GMT

* Positive surprise on bookings value anticipated

* Seen swinging to Q3 net profit

By Harro ten Wolde

AMSTERDAM, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Dutch chip equipment maker ASML's (ASML.AS) (ASML.O) third-quarter bookings may give investors a positive surprise, while swinging to a net profit after three consecutive loss-making quarters.

ASML, the world's largest maker of semiconductor lithography machines that map out electronic circuits on silicon wafers, said last month consumer demand and chip prices were picking up.

It raised its revenue outlook to more than 500 million euros ($741 million) in both the third and fourth quarters, from previous guidance of around 450 million euros, and said bookings would be well above 500 million euros [ID:nLA602408].

"Having already surprised positively on revenue ... we believe the main positive surprise within third-quarter results will be the strength of the order book," UBS analyst Gareth Jenkins said, adding he expected orders to be 735 million euros in the third quarter and 867 million in the fourth quarter.

Rabo Securities analyst Philip Scholte said he was looking for 22 new system bookings and 6 used systems bookings, leading to total bookings of 713 million euros.

ASML has been loss-making since the fourth quarter of last year after customers froze capital spending on falling demand for semiconductors, weak memory prices and restricted access to capital.

ASML's customers include the world's largest chip maker, Intel Corp. (INTC.O), and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (2330.TW), the world's largest contract chip maker.

Finance director Peter Wennink has always said customers cannot postpone orders for long, especially for ASML's immersion machines which allow manufacturers to produce chips with ever-finer structures.

The company has been focusing on operational costs, steering toward a breakeven level of around 450 million euros in quarterly sales by the end of the year.

The Veldhoven-based company, which competes with Japanese rivals Nikon Corp (7731.T) and Canon Inc (7751.T), was expected to book a third-quarter net profit of 16 million euros, the average in a Reuters poll of 14 analysts showed. Estimates ranged from 5-30 million euros. [ID:nL8238037]

ASML's order book is viewed as a barometer for expectations of big chipmakers such as Intel, which was due to release third-quarter results on Tuesday. [ID:nN07495125]

ASML shares have gained almost 67 percent so far this year, outperforming a 24 percent rise in the DJ Stoxx European technology index .SX8P. ($1 = 0.6746 euro)