ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) Trading Up 1.6% – Here’s Why

Shares of ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) shot up 1.6% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $1,735.53 and last traded at $1,704.37. Approximately 1,058,412 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 44% from the average daily volume of 1,894,103 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,678.22.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ASML has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of ASML in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Bank of America upped their target price on ASML from $2,268.00 to $2,345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Morningstar downgraded ASML to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Freedom Capital upgraded ASML from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of ASML from $1,700.00 to $2,000.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,970.33.

ASML Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The company has a market cap of $670.30 billion, a PE ratio of 53.03, a P/E/G ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 1.79. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,765.59 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1,547.95.

ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) last released its quarterly earnings results on Sunday, June 28th. The semiconductor company reported $8.65 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $10.64 billion during the quarter. ASML had a return on equity of 52.71% and a net margin of 30.11%. Equities analysts expect that ASML Holding N.V. will post 44.68 EPS for the current year.

ASML Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 28th were paid a dividend of $2.1507 per share. This represents a $8.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, July 28th. ASML’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.59%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ASML

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in ASML in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Binnacle Investments Inc boosted its position in shares of ASML by 78.9% during the second quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 34 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 15 shares during the period. Resources Management Corp CT ADV grew its stake in shares of ASML by 1,150.0% in the fourth quarter. Resources Management Corp CT ADV now owns 25 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. raised its holdings in shares of ASML by 68.8% in the 4th quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 27 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Finally, Jessup Wealth Management Inc purchased a new stake in shares of ASML in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. 26.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ASML Company Profile

ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ: ASML) is a Dutch company that develops, manufactures and services advanced photolithography systems used to produce semiconductor chips. Headquartered in Veldhoven, Netherlands, ASML supplies capital equipment and associated software and services that enable semiconductor manufacturers to pattern the intricate circuits on silicon wafers. The company is widely recognized for its leadership in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography as well as its deep ultraviolet (DUV) platforms used across multiple process nodes.

ASML’s product portfolio includes EUV and DUV lithography machines, light sources, imaging optics and control software, together with spare parts, upgrades and field services.