ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) Shares Up 2.1% – Should You Buy?

ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) shot up 2.1% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $1,896.35 and last traded at $1,883.12. 1,249,307 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 33% from the average daily volume of 1,863,893 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,844.08.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of ASML in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of ASML from $1,700.00 to $2,000.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Argus set a $2,100.00 price target on ASML in a report on Thursday, July 16th. DZ Bank raised ASML from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,970.33.

ASML Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $740.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 58.59, a P/E/G ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 1.79. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $1,781.65 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1,568.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09.

ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) last posted its earnings results on Sunday, June 28th. The semiconductor company reported $8.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $10.64 billion during the quarter. ASML had a net margin of 30.11% and a return on equity of 52.71%. On average, equities research analysts expect that ASML Holding N.V. will post 44.85 earnings per share for the current year.

ASML Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 28th were issued a $2.1507 dividend. 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 is currently 22.62%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ASML

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of ASML in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Binnacle Investments Inc lifted its holdings in ASML by 78.9% during the 2nd quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 34 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. Resources Management Corp CT ADV lifted its holdings in ASML by 1,150.0% during the 4th quarter. Resources Management Corp CT ADV now owns 25 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. boosted its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Finally, Jessup Wealth Management Inc bought a new stake in ASML in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Institutional investors own 26.07% of the company’s stock.

About ASML

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.