Principal Financial Group Inc. Sells 24,245 Shares of ASML Holding N.V. $ASML

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group reduced its ASML stake by 28.9% in the second quarter, selling 24,245 shares and retaining 59,642 shares valued at approximately $118.7 million.
• Other institutional investors made mixed moves, while hedge funds and institutional investors collectively owned 26.07% of ASML’s stock.
• ASML reported quarterly revenue of $10.64 billion and EPS of $8.65. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus, with an average price target of $1,970.33 versus the stock’s reported $1,844.45 price.

Principal Financial Group Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML - Free Report) by 28.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 59,642 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after selling 24,245 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in ASML were worth $118,654,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of ASML. Titan Global Capital Management USA LLC increased its stake in shares of ASML by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. Titan Global Capital Management USA LLC now owns 922 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $1,834,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. Meridian Management Co. bought a new stake in ASML during the second quarter valued at about $1,814,000. Steadview Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in ASML during the second quarter valued at about $21,560,000. Chilton Capital Management LLC increased its position in ASML by 2.5% in the second quarter. Chilton Capital Management LLC now owns 21,579 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $42,930,000 after buying an additional 530 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Suncoast Equity Management purchased a new stake in ASML in the second quarter worth about $15,776,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.07% of the company's stock.

ASML Stock Down 0.2%

NASDAQ ASML opened at $1,844.45 on Friday. ASML Holding N.V. has a 12 month low of $716.20 and a 12 month high of $1,999.96. The company has a current ratio of 1.33, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The stock has a market cap of $725.39 billion, a PE ratio of 57.39, a P/E/G ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 1.79. The stock's 50 day moving average is $1,781.65 and its 200 day moving average is $1,567.15.

ASML (NASDAQ:ASML - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Sunday, June 28th. The semiconductor company reported $8.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. ASML had a net margin of 30.11% and a return on equity of 52.71%. The firm had revenue of $10.64 billion for the quarter. Research analysts predict that ASML Holding N.V. will post 44.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ASML Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 28th were given a $2.1507 dividend. This represents a $8.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, July 28th. ASML's payout ratio is currently 22.62%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on ASML. Wall Street Zen cut ASML from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating on shares of ASML in a report on Friday, July 17th. Susquehanna reaffirmed a "positive" rating on shares of ASML in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating on shares of ASML in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,970.33.

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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