Verdence Capital Advisors LLC Increases Stake in ASML Holding

Verdence Capital Advisors LLC has significantly raised its investment in ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML) by 49.1% during the third quarter. This information was disclosed in the fund's latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Following the increase, Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,844 shares in the semiconductor company, having added an additional 1,265 shares during the quarter. The value of these holdings stands at $3,203,000 as per the most recent SEC filing.

Investment Activity in ASML

In addition to Verdence Capital Advisors LLC, several other institutional investors have also made moves in the ASML stock market. Resources Management Corp CT ADV bought a new investment in ASML in the second quarter, valued at roughly $26,000. Meanwhile, Milestone Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in the third quarter estimated at about $28,000. Triad Wealth Partners LLC entered the ASML market by investing approximately $31,000 in the second quarter. First Community Trust NA bought into ASML stocks for around $34,000 during the second quarter as well. POM Investment Strategies LLC also purchased a new position in ASML valued at approximately $36,000 in the second quarter. Presently, institutional investors collectively own about 26.07% of ASML's stock.

Current Stock Performance

On the trading session, ASML's stock opened at $669.47. The company's current moving averages reflect a 50-day simple moving average of $771.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $889.64. The financial health of ASML can be noted through its current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 0.84, indicating reasonable liquidity. ASML's debt-to-equity ratio stands at 0.29, showcasing sound financial structure. Over the last year, ASML's stock has traded between a low of $633.85 and a high of $1,110.09, with a current market capitalization of approximately $263.38 billion. The company has a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.05 and a price-to-earnings growth (P/E/G) ratio of 1.94, along with a beta of 1.51, which indicates its stock price volatility compared to the market.

Recent Earnings Report

ASML recently reported its quarterly earnings on October 15th, revealing an earnings per share (EPS) of $5.80 for the quarter, surpassing analysts' expectations of $5.24 by $0.56. The company achieved a remarkable return on equity of 47.61%, along with a net margin of 26.40%. ASML generated revenue of $8.21 billion during the quarter, also exceeding analyst forecasts that estimated $7.66 billion. Current analyst predictions expect ASML Holding to report earnings per share of approximately 20.76 for the current fiscal year.

Dividends and Analyst Ratings

Recently, ASML announced a quarterly dividend, which was distributed on November 7th. Shareholders who were on record as of October 29th received a dividend of $1.407 per share. This equates to an annualized dividend of $5.63, resulting in a dividend yield of 0.84%. Currently, ASML's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.21%.

A few brokerages have also updated their perspectives on ASML shares. Susquehanna reduced its price target for ASML from $1,300.00 down to $1,100.00, while maintaining a ‘positive’ rating. UBS Group downgraded ASML to a ‘neutral’ rating from a previous ‘buy’ rating. Alternatively, Berenberg Bank upgraded ASML to a ‘strong-buy’ rating. Moreover, JPMorgan Chase & Co. revised their target price down from $1,207.00 to $1,148.00 while assigning an ‘overweight’ rating. Barclays also upgraded ASML from an ‘equal weight’ to an ‘overweight’ rating. Currently, ASML enjoys three hold ratings, nine buy ratings, and two strong buy ratings, amounting to an overall average rating of ‘Moderate Buy’ and a consensus target price of $970.60.

About ASML Holding N.V.

ASML Holding N.V. specializes in the development, production, marketing, and servicing of sophisticated semiconductor equipment systems designed for chip manufacturers. The company provides a range of technologically advanced systems, including lithography, metrology, and inspection systems. ASML also produces extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems and deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography systems, which include both immersion and dry lithography solutions that cater to diverse semiconductor manufacturing technologies.

Investment, Stock, Earnings