On September 18, 2023, it was reported that Moody National Bank Trust Division had purchased a new stake in shares of ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML) during the second quarter. According to the company’s recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Moody National Bank acquired 296 shares of ASML Holding’s stock, which were valued at approximately $215,000.
ASML Holding is a semiconductor company that specializes in manufacturing advanced lithography systems for the production of integrated circuits. The firm’s products are used by major chip manufacturers around the world. The acquisition of shares by Moody National Bank indicates its confidence in ASML Holding’s future prospects and may suggest the bank’s interest in capitalizing on potential growth opportunities in the semiconductor industry.
In addition to this recent stake acquisition, ASML Holding also announced a quarterly dividend. The dividend was paid to stockholders of record on August 2nd and amounted to $1.6281 per share. This represents a positive change from the company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.27. With an annualized dividend of $6.51 and a dividend yield of 1.09%, ASML Holding offers investors a favorable return on their investment.
The ex-dividend date for this dividend payment was August 1st, meaning that investors who purchased ASML Holding shares after this date would not be eligible to receive the dividend payment. The payout ratio for ASML Holding stands at 13.71%, indicating that the company dedicates a reasonable portion of its earnings towards distributing dividends to shareholders.
Overall, these recent developments demonstrate Moody National Bank Trust Division’s interest in acquiring shares of ASML Holding and highlight the value that investors place on the company’s performance and future prospects. With its innovative products and strong market position, ASML Holding continues to attract investor attention in the semiconductor industry sector.
It is worth noting that this article is based on information available as of September 18, 2023, and it is advisable to consult updated sources or financial advisors for the most current and accurate information regarding ASML Holding’s stock and dividend details.
ASML Holding N.V.
ASML
Strong Buy
Updated on: 04/12/2023
Very Healthy 
Institutional Investor Activity and Analyst Ratings Impacts ASML’s Future Trajectory in the Semiconductor Industry and Global Financial Markets
Institutional investor activity in ASML Holding, a leading semiconductor company, has seen some significant modifications in recent months. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its holdings by 9.8% during the 4th quarter, now owning over 9 million shares valued at $4.96 billion. Bank of America Corp DE also increased its holdings by 6% during the 1st quarter, holding over 1.48 million shares valued at $1.01 billion.
Jennison Associates LLC and Clearbridge Investments LLC also raised their holdings in ASML during the 1st and 4th quarters respectively. Jennison Associates now owns over 1.37 million shares valued at $935.55 million, while Clearbridge Investments holds over 1.31 million shares valued at $719.70 million.
Franklin Resources Inc., on the other hand, experienced a more modest increase of only 3.5%, owning about 1.28 million shares worth $874.03 million after purchasing an additional 43,493 shares.
Taking into account these institutional investors as well as hedge funds, it is estimated that they collectively own around 18.94% of ASML’s stock.
The performance of ASML has been subject to analysis from various research analysts in recent times. Sanford C Bernstein downgraded the company’s rating from “outperform” to “market perform” and reduced their price target from $810 to $785 in late July this year.
Societe Generale also downgraded ASML’s rating from “buy” to “hold” in mid-July, while Wells Fargo & Company gave the stock an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price from $775 to $800 on July 20th.
New Street Research downgraded ASML’s rating from “buy” to “neutral” while Wolfe Research started coverage with an “outperform” rating on the company’s stock.
It is worth noting that eight analysts have given ASML a hold rating, while ten analysts were more optimistic and assigned a buy rating to the company. According to Bloomberg, the consensus among analysts is that ASML has a “Moderate Buy” rating with a projected average price target of $730.18.
Shares of ASML opened at $596.66 on September 18, 2023. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, indicating a moderate level of debt, and its liquidity seems stable with a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 1.34.
ASML’s stock performance over the past year has seen substantial fluctuations between a low of $363.15 and a high of $771.98. Currently, the stock has a market capitalization of $235.44 billion, with a relatively high price-to-earnings ratio of 30.29 and price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.00. These metrics suggest that investors may perceive ASML as an attractive investment opportunity.
In terms of financial performance, ASML reported earnings per share (EPS) of $5.37 for the recent quarter ending July 19th, surpassing market expectations by $0.39 per share or approximately 7%. The company achieved a net margin of 28.67% and demonstrated an impressive return on equity (ROE) figure of 79.17%.
With revenue totaling $7.51 billion for the same quarter, industry analysts project that ASML Holding will post EPS of around 21.63 for the current fiscal year.
Considering all these factors, it will be interesting to monitor how institutional investor activity and analyst ratings impact ASML’s future trajectory in both the semiconductor industry and global financial markets as a whole.
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