Fisher Funds Management LTD Trims Stock Holdings in ASML Holding N.V. $ASML

Key Points

• Fisher Funds Management cut its ASML stake by 66.2% in Q1, selling 23,787 shares and leaving it with 12,118 shares worth about $16.0 million.
• ASML is facing renewed U.S.-China export scrutiny after reports questioned whether one of its EUV machines may have reached China, raising geopolitical and regulatory risk. ASML has denied the allegations.
• Despite the controversy, Wall Street remains broadly bullish on ASML, with analysts maintaining Buy ratings and an average target price of $1,589.62.

Fisher Funds Management LTD reduced its holdings in shares of ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML - Free Report) by 66.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 12,118 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after selling 23,787 shares during the period. Fisher Funds Management LTD's holdings in ASML were worth $16,010,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of ASML. Sky Investment Group LLC boosted its holdings in ASML by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. Sky Investment Group LLC now owns 393 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $519,000 after acquiring an additional 9 shares during the period. Triad Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in ASML in the first quarter worth $314,000. Genesis Private Wealth LLC increased its stake in ASML by 19.7% in the first quarter. Genesis Private Wealth LLC now owns 523 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $691,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the period. Paladin Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of ASML during the first quarter worth $250,000. Finally, Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV bought a new stake in shares of ASML during the first quarter worth $291,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.07% of the company's stock.

Key ASML News

Here are the key news stories impacting ASML this week:

• Negative Sentiment: U.S. officials reportedly questioned whether an ASML EUV machine may have made its way to China, raising the risk of tighter export scrutiny and possible regulatory fallout. US tells ASML it's concerned one of its chipmaking tools may be in China, Bloomberg News reports
• Negative Sentiment: ASML is facing fresh China export scrutiny after reports that the Trump administration is probing whether an advanced chipmaking tool was diverted to China, keeping geopolitical risk front and center for investors. ASML Faces Fresh China Export Scrutiny
• Neutral Sentiment: ASML has denied the allegations, saying its EUV systems are not in China; while that may limit immediate damage, the dispute still leaves uncertainty around U.S.-China export controls. US tells ASML it is concerned China may have top chip tool, Bloomberg News reports
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer-term optimism remains in place, with analysts still pointing to strong earnings growth and demand trends, and Barclays recently raising its price target on ASML. Here’s Why ASML Holding N.V. (ASML) Is Among the Stocks with Best Earnings Growth for the Next 3 Years

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently commented on ASML. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a "buy" rating on shares of ASML in a report on Monday, June 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of ASML in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Freedom Capital raised shares of ASML from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of ASML in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, DZ Bank restated a "neutral" rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,589.62.

ASML Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ASML opened at $1,929.68 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $1,594.98 and a 200 day moving average of $1,401.52. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The company has a market capitalization of $758.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 69.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.82. ASML Holding N.V. has a 52 week low of $683.48 and a 52 week high of $1,942.87.

ASML (NASDAQ:ASML - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, March 30th. The semiconductor company reported $8.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. ASML had a return on equity of 48.69% and a net margin of 27.65%.The business had revenue of $10.15 billion for the quarter. On average, sell-side analysts predict that ASML Holding N.V. will post 36.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ASML 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.

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