Watchtower Advisors LP Takes Position in ASML Holding N.V. $ASML

Watchtower Advisors LP bought a new position in shares of ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 20,234 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,588,000. ASML makes up approximately 8.7% of Watchtower Advisors LP’s portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest position.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of ASML. Capital International Investors increased its stake in ASML by 17.3% during the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 3,919,154 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $3,791,982,000 after purchasing an additional 577,448 shares during the period. Regents of The University of California purchased a new position in shares of ASML in the third quarter valued at approximately $413,335,000. WCM Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of ASML by 24.9% in the third quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 1,933,748 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $1,861,445,000 after purchasing an additional 385,502 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its holdings in shares of ASML by 16.6% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 2,148,506 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $2,079,948,000 after purchasing an additional 305,435 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its stake in ASML by 6.3% during the 2nd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 4,244,254 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $3,401,304,000 after buying an additional 250,934 shares during the period. 26.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on ASML. Berenberg Bank restated a “buy” rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of ASML in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Santander downgraded ASML from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of ASML in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,475.00.

ASML Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:ASML opened at $1,386.68 on Thursday. ASML Holding N.V. has a 52 week low of $578.51 and a 52 week high of $1,547.22. The company’s 50 day moving average is $1,371.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,119.89. The company has a market cap of $545.36 billion, a PE ratio of 53.71, a P/E/G ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14.

ASML Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 5th. Investors of record on Monday, April 27th will be issued a $3.1771 dividend. This represents a $12.71 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. This is a boost from ASML’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.88. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 27th. ASML’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.83%.

ASML Profile

ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ: ASML) is a Dutch company that develops, manufactures and services advanced photolithography systems used to produce semiconductor chips. Headquartered in Veldhoven, Netherlands, ASML supplies capital equipment and associated software and services that enable semiconductor manufacturers to pattern the intricate circuits on silicon wafers. The company is widely recognized for its leadership in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography as well as its deep ultraviolet (DUV) platforms used across multiple process nodes.

ASML’s product portfolio includes EUV and DUV lithography machines, light sources, imaging optics and control software, together with spare parts, upgrades and field services.