ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) Sets New 12-Month High – Time to Buy?

ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $1,169.51 and last traded at $1,162.6180, with a volume of 624192 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $1,069.86.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Arete Research raised shares of ASML to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 12th. New Street Research reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Berenberg Bank reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of ASML in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Weiss Ratings upgraded ASML from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of ASML in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,171.83.

ASML Stock Performance

The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $1,055.49 and its 200 day simple moving average is $905.52. The company has a market capitalization of $457.73 billion, a PE ratio of 47.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 1.31 and a quick ratio of 0.70.

ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 15th. The semiconductor company reported $6.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.27 by $0.14. ASML had a net margin of 27.08% and a return on equity of 47.74%. The business had revenue of $8.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $5.28 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that ASML Holding N.V. will post 25.17 EPS for the current year.

ASML Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 29th were issued a $1.857 dividend. This is a positive change from ASML’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. This represents a $7.43 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, October 29th. ASML’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.80%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ASML

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ASML. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in ASML during the third quarter valued at $25,000. City Holding Co. purchased a new stake in ASML in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC grew its position in ASML by 153.8% in the 2nd quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc grew 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 acquiring an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in ASML in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 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.