ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) Stock Price Down 2.5% – Here’s Why

Shares of ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) traded down 2.5% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $1,333.57 and last traded at $1,351.58. 1,751,160 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 8% from the average session volume of 1,903,017 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,386.68.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ASML has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of ASML from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of ASML in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of ASML from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, ASML presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,475.00.

ASML Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 1.26 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $529.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.12, a PEG ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.88. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $1,380.42 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $1,125.60.

ASML Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 27th will be given a $3.1771 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 27th. This represents a $12.71 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. This is an increase from ASML’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.88. ASML’s dividend payout ratio is presently 25.10%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ASML. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in ASML in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. City Holding Co. purchased a new stake in shares of ASML during the third quarter worth $26,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ASML during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Binnacle Investments Inc raised its stake in shares of ASML by 78.9% in the second quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 34 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Resources Management Corp CT ADV raised its stake in shares of ASML by 1,150.0% in the fourth quarter. Resources Management Corp CT ADV now owns 25 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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.