Principal Financial Group Inc. Buys 42,254 Shares of ASML Holding N.V. $ASML

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group more than doubled its ASML stake in the first quarter, buying an additional 42,254 shares and bringing its total holdings to 83,887 shares valued at about $110.8 million.
• Other major institutional investors also increased their ASML positions, and institutions now own 26.07% of the company’s stock, underscoring continued big-money interest in the chip equipment maker.
• ASML is drawing generally bullish analyst coverage, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $1,891.62, while the stock recently traded up and near its 52-week high.

Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML - Free Report) by 101.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 83,887 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after buying an additional 42,254 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in ASML were worth $110,800,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its stake in ASML by 3.0% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 4,484,949 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $4,798,268,000 after acquiring an additional 132,353 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in shares of ASML by 195.8% in the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,544,705 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $1,652,618,000 after acquiring an additional 1,022,532 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in shares of ASML by 14.5% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,526,411 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $1,633,046,000 after purchasing an additional 193,068 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of ASML by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,014,815 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $1,085,717,000 after purchasing an additional 23,999 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of ASML by 15.2% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 978,922 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $1,047,309,000 after purchasing an additional 129,320 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.07% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on ASML. DZ Bank restated a "neutral" rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of ASML from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, May 3rd. Barclays restated a "buy" rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Berenberg Bank reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of ASML in a report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of ASML in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,891.62.

ASML Trading Up 2.3%

Shares of ASML stock opened at $1,816.64 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $714.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 65.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.78. 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 50-day simple moving average of $1,723.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1,493.66. ASML Holding N.V. has a 12-month low of $683.48 and a 12-month high of $1,999.96.

ASML (NASDAQ:ASML - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 30th. The semiconductor company reported $8.28 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $10.15 billion for the quarter. ASML had a net margin of 27.65% and a return on equity of 48.69%. Research analysts expect that ASML Holding N.V. will post 36.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting ASML

Here are the key news stories impacting ASML this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ASML beat Q2 expectations, reporting stronger-than-expected revenue and profit, which reassured investors that demand for its semiconductor manufacturing tools remains robust. ASML tops Q2 estimates on AI chip demand
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 sales forecast for the second time this year to €43 billion-€45 billion and lifted gross margin guidance to 54%-56%, signaling that AI-related orders are coming in faster than expected. ASML hikes sales forecast for second time this year on strong AI chip demand
• Positive Sentiment: Management said EUV capacity is nearly fully booked through the end of 2027 and that it has room to raise prices on some tools, both of which suggest pricing power and strong forward visibility. ASML has room to raise prices, CFO says
• Positive Sentiment: Intel’s use of ASML’s next-generation High-NA EUV system for Panther Lake production highlights real customer adoption of ASML’s most advanced technology, reinforcing the company’s long-term competitive moat. Intel turns to next-generation ASML tool to help make its laptop chips
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary and media coverage broadly frame ASML’s results as a positive signal for the AI semiconductor trade, but those takes mainly reflect the earnings news rather than adding new fundamentals. Why ASML’s AI Monopoly Is Still Getting Stronger
• Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical and China-export risks remain a concern, and investors may still question whether ASML’s premium valuation is fully justified despite the upbeat quarter. Chip toolmaker ASML expected to shine light on capacity and China challenges

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ASML? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.