ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) Stock Price Down 1.1% - Should You Sell?

ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML - Get Free Report) shares dropped 1.1% on Friday . The company traded as low as $767.24 and last traded at $768.40. Approximately 415,150 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 77% from the average daily volume of 1,786,349 shares. The stock had previously closed at $776.99.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ASML has been the topic of a number of research reports. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of ASML in a research note on Tuesday, December 3rd. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $858.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of ASML from $1,148.00 to $1,100.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company raised 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. DZ Bank raised shares of ASML from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price target on shares of ASML from $815.00 to $767.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $937.00.

ASML Trading Down 3.3 %

The company has a market cap of $295.67 billion, a PE ratio of 36.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $729.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $761.58.

ASML (NASDAQ:ASML - Get Free Report) 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, analysts predict that ASML Holding will post 25.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ASML Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 11th will be given a $1.5855 dividend. This is a positive change from ASML's previous dividend of $1.08. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 11th. ASML's payout ratio is presently 26.83%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ASML

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ASML. Fairway Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of ASML in the third quarter worth $25,000. Kennebec Savings Bank grew its stake in shares of ASML by 227.3% in the fourth quarter. Kennebec Savings Bank now owns 36 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Milestone Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of ASML in the third quarter worth $28,000. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC grew its stake in shares of ASML by 740.0% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC now owns 42 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of ASML in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.07% of the company's stock.

About ASML

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.