Legal & General Group Plc Sells 8,138 Shares of ASML Holding N.V. $ASML

Key Points

• Legal & General Group Plc reduced its ASML stake by 22.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 8,138 shares and leaving it with 28,037 shares valued at about $30.0 million.
• ASML continues to draw mostly positive analyst attention, with firms including UBS, RBC, and Sanford C. Bernstein maintaining upbeat views and price targets; the consensus rating remains Moderate Buy.
• The stock has been supported by optimism around AI demand and ASML’s EUV leadership, but it still faces headwinds from valuation concerns and ongoing geopolitical/export control risks tied to China and U.S.-led sanctions.

Legal & General Group Plc lowered its stake in shares of ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML - Free Report) by 22.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 28,037 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after selling 8,138 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc's holdings in ASML were worth $29,996,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Genus Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in ASML during the fourth quarter worth about $540,000. Allen Capital Group LLC boosted its holdings in ASML by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Allen Capital Group LLC now owns 3,961 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $4,238,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in ASML by 11.6% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 22,583 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $24,161,000 after buying an additional 2,344 shares during the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of ASML by 7.5% during the fourth quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 3,446 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $3,687,000 after purchasing an additional 239 shares during the period. Finally, Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. acquired a new stake in shares of ASML during the fourth quarter worth about $750,000. Institutional investors own 26.07% of the company's stock.

Key ASML News

Here are the key news stories impacting ASML this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS reportedly raised its price target on ASML to €1,900 from €1,600 while keeping a Buy rating, reinforcing optimism around the company’s EUV leadership and long-term growth potential. ASML Holding N.V. (ASML) Stock Gains Attention After UBS Lifts Price Target to €1,900
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles highlighted ASML as a strong momentum and semiconductor-equipment pick, citing its backlog, AI-chip tailwinds, and dominant position in extreme ultraviolet lithography. Are You Looking for a Top Momentum Pick? Why ASML (ASML) is a Great Choice
• Positive Sentiment: ASML’s partnership with Tata Electronics to help build India’s first front-end semiconductor fabrication plant could expand its addressable market and deepen exposure to new foundry growth. ASML Holding N.V. (ASML) Sets Sights on India’s Foundry Opportunities amid Tata Electronics Pact
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage comparing ASML with KLAC and TSMC generally favored ASML on EUV leadership and AI demand, but these were mostly opinion pieces rather than fresh company-specific catalysts. ASML vs. KLAC: Which Semiconductor Equipment Stock Is the Better Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Morningstar downgraded ASML to Sell, signaling concern that the stock’s valuation may already reflect much of the company’s strong fundamentals and AI-driven growth outlook. Morningstar downgrades ASML rating to sell
• Negative Sentiment: New reporting on Huawei’s chip strategy underscored ongoing geopolitical risk, noting that China remains unable to import ASML’s most advanced EUV machines because of U.S.-led sanctions, which keeps export controls a key overhang. Analysis-Huawei bets on speed over shrinking transistors to sidestep US chip sanctions

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on ASML. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on ASML from $1,625.00 to $1,700.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of ASML in a research report on Monday, May 25th. Wall Street Zen lowered ASML from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, May 3rd. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of ASML in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of ASML in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, ASML has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,504.38.

ASML Trading Up 0.4%

NASDAQ ASML opened at $1,612.76 on Friday. The stock's 50-day moving average is $1,458.41 and its 200-day moving average is $1,317.91. ASML Holding N.V. has a one year low of $683.48 and a one year high of $1,654.20. The firm has a market cap of $634.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 57.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 1.36 and a quick ratio of 0.78.

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. Sell-side analysts anticipate that ASML Holding N.V. will post 37.1 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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