Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp Invests $1.04 Million in ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML)

Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new stake in ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 1,506 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,044,000. ASML makes up approximately 1.0% of Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Kennebec Savings Bank raised its holdings in shares of ASML by 227.3% during the 4th quarter. Kennebec Savings Bank now owns 36 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC raised its stake in ASML by 740.0% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC now owns 42 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of ASML in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Albion Financial Group UT boosted its position in ASML by 133.3% in the fourth quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 56 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Roxbury Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of ASML during the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.07% of the company’s stock.

ASML Stock Performance

NASDAQ ASML opened at $726.74 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $730.70 and its 200-day moving average is $733.15. The firm has a market cap of $285.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.54. ASML Holding has a 12-month low of $645.45 and a 12-month high of $1,110.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20.

ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The semiconductor company reported $7.30 earnings per share 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%. Sell-side analysts predict 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 was paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 11th were given a dividend of $1.5855 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 11th. This is a boost from ASML’s previous dividend of $1.08. ASML’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.35%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on ASML. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on ASML in a report on Tuesday, December 3rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $858.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of ASML from $790.00 to $860.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research 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. 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, DZ Bank raised ASML from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $937.00.

ASML 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.