ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) Stock Price Up 1.9% – Still a Buy?

ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) shares were up 1.9% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $1,062.68 and last traded at $1,055.9750. Approximately 2,288,518 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 38% from the average daily volume of 1,661,457 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,036.31.

More ASML News

Here are the key news stories impacting ASML this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators argue ASML’s market dominance and high barriers to entry remain intact, helping defend pricing and long-term margins. ASML’s Market Dominance Remains Unshaken by Workaround Attempts
• Positive Sentiment: Bloomberg profiles ASML’s rising public role and geopolitical importance, which can strengthen its negotiating position with customers and governments. Europe’s Indispensable Chipmaking Company Finds Its Voice
• Positive Sentiment: Intel installed the industry’s first commercial High-NA EUV tool (ASML Twinscan EXE:5200B), signaling early customer adoption of ASML’s highest-end systems — a direct revenue and backlog catalyst if others follow. Intel installs industry’s first commercial High-NA EUV lithography tool
• Positive Sentiment: Industry analysis notes that greater EUV adoption in logic and DRAM should lift ASML’s ASPs and services mix over time, supporting margins. Will EUV Adoption in Logic and DRAM Lift ASML’s Margins Over Time?
• Positive Sentiment: ASML shares recently outperformed the broader market, reflecting investor optimism about demand and durable competitive advantages. ASML (ASML) Outperforms Broader Market
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays issued a “Neutral” rating — a reminder that some sell-side views expect more moderation in shares despite the long-term story. ASML Earns “Neutral” Rating from Barclays
• Neutral Sentiment: Elevated investor search interest signals attention but not a directional catalyst by itself. Investors Heavily Search ASML
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple reports claim Chinese teams have reverse-engineered or built prototype EUV/EUV-like machines and upgraded older ASML tools to boost AI-chip production — a direct threat to ASML’s long-term exclusivity and to export-control effectiveness. China reverse-engineers the most advanced chip-making machine
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage details Chinese workarounds — upgrading legacy ASML kits and using ex-ASML engineers to create domestic prototypes — which could reduce future demand for ASML systems in that market and pressure geopolitical tensions. China upgrades ASML kit to get around US controls
• Negative Sentiment: Financial Times and other outlets report China boosting AI-chip output by retrofitting older ASML machines — a nearer-term challenge to ASML’s addressable market in China. China boosts AI chip output by upgrading older ASML machines
• Negative Sentiment: Deep dives describe a secret “Manhattan Project” effort in China to build EUV-capable systems, and multiple outlets cite prototypes assembled by former ASML employees — a structural IP and geopolitical risk. Inside China’s ‘Manhattan Project’: China Moves Closer to Chip Self-Reliance
• Negative Sentiment: Further reporting on prototypes and ex-ASML engineers highlights enforcement and export-control limits, raising uncertainty about ASML’s China exposure over time. China reportedly has a prototype EUV machine built by ex-ASML employees

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on ASML. Rothschild Redb raised shares of ASML from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of ASML in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Zacks Research cut ASML from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, Hsbc Global Res upgraded ASML to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, ASML presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,171.83.

ASML Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 1.31. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $1,043.96 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $884.48. The company has a market cap of $415.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.98, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.87.

ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 15th. The semiconductor company reported $6.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.27 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $8.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. ASML had a return on equity of 47.74% and a net margin of 27.08%.The business’s revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $5.28 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that ASML Holding N.V. will post 25.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ASML Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 29th were given a dividend of $1.857 per share. This represents a $7.43 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. This is an increase from ASML’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, October 29th. ASML’s payout ratio is currently 25.76%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ASML

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Capital International Investors lifted its position in shares of ASML by 17.3% in the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 3,919,154 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $3,791,982,000 after buying an additional 577,448 shares during the last quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of ASML during the 1st quarter worth approximately $360,262,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership bought a new stake in ASML in the 3rd quarter valued at $505,510,000. Regents of The University of California acquired a new stake in ASML during the 3rd quarter valued at $413,335,000. Finally, WCM Investment Management LLC boosted its position in ASML by 24.9% during the third quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 1,933,748 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,861,445,000 after purchasing an additional 385,502 shares during the period. 26.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ASML Company 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.