ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) Trading Up 1.4% – Should You Buy?

ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML)’s stock price shot up 1.4% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $704.27 and last traded at $700.07. 437,410 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 71% from the average session volume of 1,514,096 shares. The stock had previously closed at $690.21.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on ASML. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on ASML from $815.00 to $767.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 29th. DZ Bank upgraded ASML from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on ASML from $790.00 to $860.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, January 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased 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, BNP Paribas initiated coverage on ASML in a research report on Tuesday, December 3rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $858.00 price target on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $937.00.

ASML Stock Up 2.3 %

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $733.02 and a 200 day moving average of $742.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $279.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.54. 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 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.67 by ($0.37). ASML had a net margin of 26.78% and a return on equity of 47.73%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that ASML Holding will post 25.17 earnings per share for the current year.

ASML Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 11th were given a $1.5855 dividend. This is a positive change from ASML’s previous dividend of $1.08. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 11th. ASML’s dividend payout ratio is presently 31.35%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ASML

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Kennebec Savings Bank raised its position in shares of ASML by 227.3% in the 4th quarter. Kennebec Savings Bank now owns 36 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC raised its position in shares of ASML by 740.0% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of ASML during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Albion Financial Group UT raised its position in shares of ASML by 133.3% during the 4th quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 56 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Roxbury Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of ASML during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $39,000. 26.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.