ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) Shares Down 2.8% – Should You Sell?

ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) shares traded down 2.8% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $1,748.85 and last traded at $1,751.73. Approximately 1,290,142 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 31% from the average session volume of 1,858,386 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,802.98.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on ASML from $1,700.00 to $2,000.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Argus set a $2,100.00 target price on shares of ASML in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Susquehanna restated a “positive” rating on shares of ASML in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, DZ Bank upgraded shares of ASML from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,970.33.

ASML Price Performance

The firm has a fifty day moving average of $1,782.20 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1,578.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $693.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 54.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 1.33 and a quick ratio of 0.80.

ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) last issued its earnings results on Sunday, June 28th. The semiconductor company reported $8.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. ASML had a net margin of 30.11% and a return on equity of 52.71%. The company had revenue of $10.64 billion for the quarter. On average, analysts predict that ASML Holding N.V. will post 44.85 EPS for the current year.

ASML Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 28th were issued a $2.1507 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, July 28th. This represents a $8.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. ASML’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.59%.

Institutional Trading of ASML

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ASML. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in ASML in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Binnacle Investments Inc increased its position in shares of ASML by 78.9% during the second quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 34 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Resources Management Corp CT ADV increased its position in shares of ASML by 1,150.0% during the fourth quarter. Resources Management Corp CT ADV now owns 25 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. lifted its holdings in shares of ASML by 68.8% during the 4th quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 27 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Field & Main Bank acquired a new stake in shares of ASML in the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. 26.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ASML Company Profile

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.