AFT Forsyth & Company Inc. Sells 15 Shares of ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML)

AFT Forsyth & Company Inc. trimmed its stake in shares of ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML) by 1.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,013 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 15 shares during the quarter. AFT Forsyth & Company Inc.’s holdings in ASML were worth $702,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fairway Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of ASML in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Kennebec Savings Bank increased its holdings in ASML by 227.3% in the 4th quarter. Kennebec Savings Bank now owns 36 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Milestone Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in ASML in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its position in ASML by 46.9% in the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 47 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Albion Financial Group UT boosted its stake in shares of ASML by 133.3% during the fourth quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 56 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.07% of the company’s stock.

ASML Price Performance

ASML stock opened at $756.17 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $726.48 and its 200 day simple moving average is $764.28. ASML Holding has a 12-month low of $645.45 and a 12-month high of $1,110.09. The firm has a market cap of $297.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.35, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.47.

ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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%. On average, analysts expect that ASML Holding will post 25.17 earnings per share for the current year.

ASML Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 11th will be given a dividend of $1.5855 per share. This is an increase from ASML’s previous dividend of $1.08. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 11th. ASML’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.83%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ASML has been the subject of several recent research reports. BNP Paribas started coverage on shares of ASML in a report on Tuesday, December 3rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $858.00 price objective for the company. DZ Bank raised shares of ASML from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. 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. decreased their price objective on ASML from $1,148.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on ASML from $790.00 to $860.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, January 13th. Three 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $937.00.

About ASML

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.