ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) Stock Jumps 1.8% – What’s Next?

Shares of ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) rose 1.8% on Wednesday. The stock traded as high as $1,563.46 and last traded at $1,534.42. 1,449,787 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 17% from the average daily volume of 1,750,897 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,507.85.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on ASML. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Argus set a $2,100.00 target price on ASML in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on ASML from $2,200.00 to $2,500.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Weiss Ratings downgraded ASML from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, October 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised ASML from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $2,204.71.

ASML Stock Up 1.8%

The stock has a market cap of $591.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.77, a PEG ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.80. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,669.83 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1,601.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09.

ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) last issued its earnings results on Sunday, September 27th. The semiconductor company reported $14.71 earnings per share for the quarter. ASML had a return on equity of 64.24% and a net margin of 34.10%. The company had revenue of $13.27 billion for the quarter. As a group, analysts expect that ASML Holding N.V. will post 46.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ASML Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 27th were issued a dividend of $2.1077 per share. This is a decrease from ASML’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.1507. This represents a $8.43 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, October 27th. ASML’s dividend payout ratio is 17.55%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ASML

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ASML. Baron Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in ASML by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC now owns 333 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $662,000 after purchasing an additional 6 shares during the last quarter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of ASML by 2.8% in the second quarter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. now owns 218 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $434,000 after purchasing an additional 6 shares during the last quarter. Founders Financial Alliance LLC lifted its holdings in shares of ASML by 2.3% in the second quarter. Founders Financial Alliance LLC now owns 266 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $529,000 after purchasing an additional 6 shares in the last quarter. Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc. CT lifted its stake in ASML by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc. CT now owns 2,232 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $2,948,000 after acquiring an additional 7 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its holdings in shares of ASML by 2.0% in the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 364 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $724,000 after purchasing an additional 7 shares during the last quarter. 26.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About ASML

ASML Holding N.V. is a Netherlands-based technology company that develops and manufactures equipment used to produce semiconductor chips. Its systems are used by chipmakers to create the intricate patterns that form circuits on silicon wafers. The company’s products include extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography systems, along with metrology and inspection equipment, computational lithography software, and related services. ASML also supports customers with system maintenance, upgrades, and technical assistance.