ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) Reaches New 1-Year High – Time to Buy?

Shares of ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) hit a new 52-week high on Friday . The stock traded as high as $1,258.23 and last traded at $1,254.8470, with a volume of 761842 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,194.32.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on ASML shares. HSBC reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of ASML in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Susquehanna increased their target price on ASML from $965.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Rothschild & Co Redburn upgraded ASML from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Erste Group Bank upgraded ASML from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 22nd. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded ASML from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,270.67.

ASML Stock Performance

The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,070.79 and a 200 day simple moving average of $921.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The company has a market cap of $502.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.92, a PEG ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 1.86.

ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 15th. The semiconductor company reported $6.41 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.27 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $8.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. ASML had a return on equity of 47.74% and a net margin of 27.08%.The company’s revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $5.28 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that ASML Holding N.V. will post 25.17 EPS for the current year.

ASML Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 29th were paid a $1.857 dividend. This represents a $7.43 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from ASML’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, October 29th. ASML’s payout ratio is currently 25.76%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ASML

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its stake in shares of ASML by 86.9% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 297,337 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $318,109,000 after acquiring an additional 138,208 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co. lifted its stake in shares of ASML by 281.5% in the fourth quarter. Diversified Trust Co. now owns 5,062 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $5,416,000 after acquiring an additional 3,735 shares in the last quarter. Tactive Advisors LLC purchased a new position in ASML in the fourth quarter valued at about $313,000. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in ASML by 38.9% during the 4th quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC now owns 339 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $363,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fulton Bank N.A. grew its stake in ASML by 52.0% during the 4th quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 336 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $359,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.07% of the company’s stock.

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.