ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) Stock Price Down 1.8% – Here’s Why

ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML)’s share price was down 1.8% on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $709.56 and last traded at $713.32. Approximately 405,327 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 73% from the average daily volume of 1,524,909 shares. The stock had previously closed at $726.74.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ASML has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price objective on ASML from $815.00 to $767.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective 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. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of ASML in a report on Tuesday, December 3rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $858.00 price objective on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of ASML from $790.00 to $860.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Finally, DZ Bank raised ASML from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Two 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $937.00.

ASML Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $729.10 and a two-hundred day moving average of $732.67. The company has a market capitalization of $265.39 billion, a PE ratio of 32.43, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.54.

ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The semiconductor company reported $7.30 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%. Research analysts anticipate that ASML Holding will post 25.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ASML Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 11th were given a $1.5855 dividend. This is a boost from ASML’s previous dividend of $1.08. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 11th. ASML’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.35%.

Institutional Trading of ASML

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ASML. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in ASML by 6.5% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 49,472 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $41,223,000 after purchasing an additional 3,000 shares in the last quarter. Hancock Whitney Corp bought a new position in shares of ASML in the 3rd quarter worth about $274,000. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd purchased a new position in ASML during the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,250,000. D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its stake in ASML by 8.9% during the third quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 3,542 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $2,951,000 after acquiring an additional 289 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in shares of ASML during the third quarter valued at approximately $43,000. 26.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.