ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) Shares Down 0.1% – Here’s Why

ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML)’s share price was down 0.1% on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $741.69 and last traded at $743.80. Approximately 329,488 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 82% from the average daily volume of 1,789,433 shares. The stock had previously closed at $744.22.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of ASML in a research note on Tuesday, December 3rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $858.00 price objective for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price target on shares of ASML from $815.00 to $767.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of ASML from $1,148.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of ASML from $790.00 to $860.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Finally, DZ Bank raised shares of ASML from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $937.00.

ASML Trading Down 0.8 %

The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $732.25 and its 200-day moving average price is $759.97. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The company has a market cap of $289.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.47.

ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The semiconductor company reported $7.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.67 by ($0.37). ASML had a return on equity of 47.73% and a net margin of 26.78%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that ASML Holding will post 25.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ASML Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 11th were given a dividend of $1.5855 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 11th. This is a boost from ASML’s previous dividend of $1.08. ASML’s dividend payout ratio is presently 31.35%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ASML

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. boosted its position in ASML by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. now owns 305 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $211,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the period. Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in ASML by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC now owns 3,208 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $2,223,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. Trust Point Inc. raised its holdings in ASML by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Trust Point Inc. now owns 606 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $420,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. Sunpointe LLC raised its holdings in ASML by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Sunpointe LLC now owns 1,114 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $772,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its holdings in ASML by 46.9% in the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 47 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.07% of the company’s stock.

About ASML

ASML Holding N.V. develops, produces, markets, sells, and services advanced semiconductor equipment systems for chipmakers. It offers advanced semiconductor equipment systems, including lithography, metrology, and inspection systems. The company also provides extreme ultraviolet lithography systems; and deep ultraviolet lithography systems comprising immersion and dry lithography solutions to manufacture various range of semiconductor nodes and technologies.