TCW Group Inc. Sells 691 Shares of ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML)

Key Points

• TCW Group Inc. has reduced its stake in ASML Holding N.V. by 0.4%, now holding 182,095 shares worth approximately $120.66 million.
• ASML recently announced a quarterly dividend of $1.856, an increase from the previous $1.64, representing an annual yield of 1.04%.
• Analysts have mixed ratings on ASML, with seven rating it as a hold, six as a buy, and one as a strong buy, while the average target price stands at $923.80.

TCW Group Inc. trimmed its position in shares of ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML - Free Report) by 0.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 182,095 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after selling 691 shares during the quarter. ASML makes up 1.1% of TCW Group Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. TCW Group Inc.'s holdings in ASML were worth $120,662,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Putney Financial Group LLC grew its position in 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 acquiring an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Wayfinding Financial LLC purchased a new position in ASML in the 1st quarter worth about $35,000. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. bought a new stake in shares of ASML during the 1st quarter valued at about $42,000. Olde Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of ASML in the first quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Alpine Bank Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of ASML in the first quarter worth about $43,000. 26.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ASML Stock Performance

Shares of ASML stock traded up $4.18 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $722.67. The company's stock had a trading volume of 618,656 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,759,536. The business's 50-day moving average price is $764.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $727.03. The firm has a market cap of $284.31 billion, a PE ratio of 30.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.73. ASML Holding N.V. has a 52 week low of $578.51 and a 52 week high of $945.05. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21.

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

ASML Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 29th will be paid a $1.856 dividend. This is a positive change from ASML's previous quarterly dividend of $1.64. This represents a $7.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 29th. ASML's dividend payout ratio is currently 29.67%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have issued reports on ASML. DZ Bank cut shares of ASML from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. Erste Group Bank reissued a "hold" rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of ASML from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 26th. Barclays restated an "equal weight" rating on shares of ASML in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Finally, Susquehanna decreased their target price on shares of ASML from $1,100.00 to $965.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 17th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, ASML presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $923.80.

ASML 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.