ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) Shares Down 3% – Here’s What Happened

ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML) shares traded down 3% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $654.00 and last traded at $654.22. 487,137 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 69% from the average session volume of 1,553,508 shares. The stock had previously closed at $674.58.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on ASML. DZ Bank upgraded ASML from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on ASML in a research note on Tuesday, December 3rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $858.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on ASML from $1,148.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on ASML from $790.00 to $860.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, ASML currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $937.00.

ASML Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $261.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.54. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $727.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of $731.53. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20.

ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The semiconductor company reported $7.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.67 by ($0.37). ASML had a net margin of 26.78% and a return on equity of 47.73%. On average, analysts forecast that ASML Holding will post 25.17 earnings per share for the current year.

ASML Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 28th will be issued a dividend of $1.5855 per share. This is an increase from ASML’s previous dividend of $1.08. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 28th. ASML’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.35%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ASML

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ASML. Kennebec Savings Bank boosted its stake in ASML by 227.3% during the fourth quarter. Kennebec Savings Bank now owns 36 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC grew its stake in ASML by 740.0% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC now owns 42 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the period. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of ASML during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Albion Financial Group UT lifted its holdings in shares of ASML by 133.3% in the 4th quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 56 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Roxbury Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of ASML in the fourth quarter valued at $39,000. 26.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

ASML Company Profile

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.