BlueSpruce Investments LP Purchases 243,685 Shares of ASML Holding N.V. $ASML

BlueSpruce Investments LP increased its position in shares of ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) by 18,861.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 244,977 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after purchasing an additional 243,685 shares during the quarter. ASML accounts for about 5.4% of BlueSpruce Investments LP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest holding. BlueSpruce Investments LP’s holdings in ASML were worth $237,160,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of ASML during the third quarter worth $25,000. City Holding Co. acquired a new position in shares of ASML in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Binnacle Investments Inc grew its position in shares of ASML by 78.9% during the 2nd quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 34 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Watch Advisors INC bought a new stake in shares of ASML during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in ASML during the second quarter worth about $30,000. Institutional investors own 26.07% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on ASML. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “buy” rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of ASML in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Grupo Santander lowered ASML to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded ASML from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of ASML in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Two equities 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,475.00.

ASML Price Performance

Shares of ASML opened at $1,345.69 on Friday. ASML Holding N.V. has a one year low of $578.51 and a one year high of $1,547.22. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $1,380.42 and its 200-day moving average is $1,128.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $529.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.88.

ASML Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 27th will be paid a dividend of $3.1771 per share. This represents a $12.71 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 27th. This is a positive change from ASML’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.88. ASML’s dividend payout ratio is 41.83%.

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.