Stockman Wealth Management Expands Holdings in ASML Holding

Stockman Wealth Management Inc. has increased its stake in ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML) by 7.2% during the third quarter, as disclosed in the company's latest 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. After acquiring an additional 1,032 shares during this period, Stockman now owns a total of 15,361 shares in the semiconductor firm. ASML represents approximately 2.0% of Stockman Wealth Management Inc.'s investment portfolio, ranking as the 15th largest holding. At the end of the last reporting period, the value of Stockman’s holdings in ASML amounted to approximately $12.8 million.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also actively traded ASML shares recently. For instance, Van ECK Associates Corp increased its position by 37.0%, and now holds 1,757,049 shares valued at around $1.46 billion, following an additional purchase of 474,653 shares. Similarly, GQG Partners LLC boosted its stake by 21.6% in the first quarter, resulting in ownership of 1,657,878 shares worth about $1.6 billion. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its stake by 18.9% and holds 1,220,210 shares, valued at about $1.18 billion, after acquiring an additional 194,357 shares. Additionally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV significantly increased its holdings by 4,379.6% in the second quarter, owning 889,875 shares at a value of roughly $910.1 million after purchasing 870,010 additional shares. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake by 0.3%, now owning 817,709 shares worth approximately $836.3 million. Currently, 26.07% of ASML's stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Performance of ASML Stock

On Friday, shares of ASML traded down by $7.74, closing at $669.47. During midday trading, 1,726,789 shares exchanged hands, in comparison to the average trading volume of 2,990,437 shares. The company has displayed a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.55, and a debt-to-equity ratio standing at 0.29. ASML has a 50-day simple moving average of $771.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $889.55. Notably, the company’s shares reached a one-year low of $633.85 and a one-year high of $1,110.09. At present, the firm holds a market capitalization of $263.38 billion, alongside a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.05 and a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91. The beta of ASML stands at 1.51.

Quarterly Earnings Results

ASML recently reported its quarterly earnings on October 15th. The semiconductor giant posted earnings of $5.80 per share (EPS), exceeding analysts’ consensus estimate of $5.24 by $0.56. The company generated revenues amounting to $8.21 billion, surpassing expectations of $7.66 billion. ASML reported a return on equity of 47.61% and a net margin of 26.40%. Looking ahead, sell-side analysts predict that ASML Holding is expected to achieve an EPS of 20.77 for the current fiscal year.

Dividend Announcement

The company has also announced a quarterly dividend, which was payable on November 7th. Shareholders recorded as of October 29th received a dividend of $1.407, translating to an annualized dividend of $5.63, yielding approximately 0.84%. The ex-dividend date for this payout was also October 29th, and ASML's dividend payout ratio currently stands at 29.21%.

Analyst Price Targets

ASML has recently been the focus of various research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein revised their target price from $1,052.00 to $815.00, maintaining an “outperform” rating. Susquehanna adjusted their target from $1,300.00 to $1,100.00 and retained a “positive” rating. UBS Group downgraded ASML from “buy” to “neutral,” while Wells Fargo lowered their price target from $1,000.00 to $790.00. Conversely, Barclays upgraded ASML from an “equal weight” rating to “overweight.” Currently, three analysts recommend holding the stock, nine suggest buying, and two indicate a strong buy, leading to an average rating of “Moderate Buy” with a target price of $970.60.

Company Overview

ASML Holding N.V. is a leading provider of advanced semiconductor equipment and offers various systems, including lithography, metrology, and inspection systems. ASML is renowned for its extreme ultraviolet lithography systems and deep ultraviolet lithography systems used in producing a range of semiconductor technologies.

ASML, Investment, Growth