Merit Financial Group LLC Grows Stock Position in ASML Holding N.V. $ASML

Key Points

• Merit Financial Group LLC raised its stake in ASML by 24.8% in Q4, buying 775 shares to hold 3,904 shares valued at about $4.18 million.
• ASML sharply increased its quarterly dividend to $3.1771 from $1.88 (annualized $12.71, yield ~0.9%), payable May 5 with record/ex-dividend date April 27.
• Market sentiment remains broadly positive with a consensus “Moderate Buy” and an average target of $1,504.38, even as analysts offer mixed views and institutional ownership sits around 26%.

Merit Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML - Free Report) by 24.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 3,904 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after buying an additional 775 shares during the quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC's holdings in ASML were worth $4,177,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. AE Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in ASML by 14.9% in the fourth quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,264 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $3,493,000 after buying an additional 423 shares during the last quarter. Shelton Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in ASML by 5.0% in the fourth quarter. Shelton Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,820 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $1,947,000 after buying an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. CM Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in ASML in the fourth quarter valued at about $569,000. Private Trust Co. NA raised its stake in ASML by 7.3% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 439 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $470,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its stake in ASML by 7.2% in the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 155,609 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $166,480,000 after buying an additional 10,475 shares during the last quarter. 26.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ASML Price Performance

ASML stock opened at $1,459.80 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 1.36. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $1,398.16 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,222.60. The company has a market cap of $574.11 billion, a PE ratio of 52.36, a PEG ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.88. ASML Holding N.V. has a fifty-two week low of $614.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,547.22.

ASML Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 27th will be paid a $3.1771 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 27th. This is a positive change from ASML's previous quarterly dividend of $1.88. This represents a $12.71 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. ASML's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.24%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on ASML shares. Grupo Santander downgraded ASML to an "underperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Barclays reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,504.38.

Key Stories Impacting ASML

Here are the key news stories impacting ASML this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and management raised 2026 revenue guidance to €36–40B, signaling stronger-than-expected AI and memory demand. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: ASML says EUV demand is outpacing supply and has increased low‑NA EUV capacity targets, supporting medium-term equipment growth. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Major banks reaffirm/upgrade ASML (Berenberg, Deutsche Bank) and analysts point to ASML/TSMC results as confirmation that hyperscaler AI spending remains strong. Read More. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Some observers note ASML’s valuation premium has shrunk even as shares run higher YTD — a reminder valuation multiples are compressing versus peers. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: DZ Bank reaffirmed a neutral rating, reflecting mixed views on near-term visibility despite solid fundamentals. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Export controls are reducing China sales and contributed to a recent pullback; regional constraints remain a risk to top-line growth. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Management stopped publishing quarterly bookings and gave a softer Q2 outlook than some expected, increasing short-term demand visibility concerns. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Operational headwinds — supply-chain constraints and negative free cash flow in the quarter — and a moderate post‑earnings selloff show some investors are taking profits. Read More.

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.

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