ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) Shares Up 1.6% – Still a Buy?

ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) shares traded up 1.6% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $1,451.49 and last traded at $1,435.63. 1,137,370 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 48% from the average session volume of 2,184,330 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,413.62.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ASML has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Grupo Santander lowered shares of ASML to an “underperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of ASML in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, DZ Bank reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of ASML in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,475.00.

ASML Stock Up 1.6%

The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The company has a market capitalization of $564.60 billion, a PE ratio of 55.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.89. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $1,227.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,019.64.

ASML Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 5th. Investors of record on Monday, April 27th will be paid a dividend of $3.1771 per share. This is an increase from ASML’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.88. This represents a $12.71 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 27th. ASML’s dividend payout ratio is presently 24.55%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ASML. Capital International Investors grew its position in shares of ASML by 17.3% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 3,919,154 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $3,791,982,000 after buying an additional 577,448 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership bought a new stake in shares of ASML during the third quarter valued at approximately $505,510,000. Regents of The University of California bought a new position in ASML during the 3rd quarter valued at about $413,335,000. WCM Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of ASML by 24.9% during the 3rd quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 1,933,748 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $1,861,445,000 after buying an additional 385,502 shares during the period. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of ASML by 75.6% in the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 790,869 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $765,632,000 after buying an additional 340,518 shares during the last quarter. 26.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.