Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd Decreases Stake in ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML)

Key Points

• Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd reduced its holdings in ASML Holding N.V. by 20.8% during the first quarter, leaving them with 17,151 shares valued at approximately $11.37 million.
• Several institutional investors, including First Foundation Advisors and Geneos Wealth Management Inc., have increased or initiated their positions in ASML, reflecting a positive sentiment among investors.
• ASML's stock received upgraded price targets from various analysts, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $923.80, indicating potential growth in the near future.

Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd reduced its stake in shares of ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML - Free Report) by 20.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 17,151 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after selling 4,514 shares during the period. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd's holdings in ASML were worth $11,365,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Putney Financial Group LLC boosted its position in shares of ASML by 322.2% during the 1st quarter. Putney Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise acquired a new position in shares of ASML during the 1st quarter worth $27,000. Wayfinding Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of ASML during the 1st quarter worth $35,000. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. acquired a new position in shares of ASML during the 1st quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Olde Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of ASML during the 1st quarter worth $42,000. 26.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ASML Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of NASDAQ ASML traded down $4.89 on Friday, reaching $689.82. 1,618,201 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,770,638. ASML Holding N.V. has a fifty-two week low of $578.51 and a fifty-two week high of $945.05. The company has a 50 day moving average of $763.17 and a 200 day moving average of $726.77. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $271.39 billion, a PE ratio of 28.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.73.

ASML (NASDAQ:ASML - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 16th. The semiconductor company reported $4.55 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $5.94 by ($1.39). ASML had a net margin of 26.95% and a return on equity of 49.47%. The company had revenue of $8.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.72 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.01 EPS. The company's revenue was up 23.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that ASML Holding N.V. will post 25.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ASML Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 29th will be issued a dividend of $1.856 per share. This represents a $7.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 29th. This is an increase from ASML's previous quarterly dividend of $1.64. ASML's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.17%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ASML has been the subject of several research reports. New Street Research raised ASML from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 24th. Susquehanna cut their target price on shares of ASML from $1,100.00 to $965.00 and set a "positive" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Barclays reissued an "equal weight" rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of ASML from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 26th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Monday, May 19th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $923.80.

ASML Company Profile

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.