WASHINGTON TRUST Co Boosts Position in ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML)

WASHINGTON TRUST Co grew its stake in shares of ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML - Free Report) by 1.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,488 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after acquiring an additional 338 shares during the quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co's holdings in ASML were worth $13,507,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Center for Financial Planning Inc. acquired a new position in shares of ASML during the fourth quarter valued at about $120,000. ABC Arbitrage SA acquired a new position in shares of ASML during the fourth quarter valued at about $1,525,000. Autumn Glory Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of ASML by 182.5% during the fourth quarter. Autumn Glory Partners LLC now owns 1,147 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $795,000 after acquiring an additional 741 shares in the last quarter. Pictet North America Advisors SA increased its holdings in shares of ASML by 29.4% during the fourth quarter. Pictet North America Advisors SA now owns 7,674 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $5,319,000 after acquiring an additional 1,745 shares in the last quarter. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of ASML by 30.0% during the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 1,492 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $1,051,000 after acquiring an additional 344 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.07% of the company's stock.

ASML Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ASML traded down $7.33 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $744.22. 1,713,748 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,838,624. ASML Holding has a 1 year low of $645.45 and a 1 year high of $1,110.09. The company has a market cap of $292.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.78, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.53. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $730.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $760.65.

ASML (NASDAQ:ASML - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The semiconductor company reported $7.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $7.67 by ($0.37). ASML had a net margin of 26.78% and a return on equity of 47.73%. Equities analysts predict that ASML Holding will post 25.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ASML Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 11th will be issued a $1.5855 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 11th. This is a positive change from ASML's previous dividend of $1.08. ASML's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.83%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ASML has been the topic of several research reports. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of ASML from $790.00 to $860.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, January 13th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their price target on shares of ASML from $815.00 to $767.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of ASML from $1,148.00 to $1,100.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 30th. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of ASML in a report on Tuesday, December 3rd. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $858.00 price target on the stock. Finally, DZ Bank raised shares of ASML from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $937.00.

ASML Company 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.