ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) Sets New 1-Year High – Here’s What Happened

ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $1,504.11 and last traded at $1,482.4350, with a volume of 400098 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,485.99.

ASML News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting ASML this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ASML’s 2025 annual report shifts tone: the company now identifies artificial intelligence as the main long-term driver of demand for its lithography systems — a fundamental positive for revenue and backlog expectations. ASML sees AI demand as long-term growth driver in 2025 annual report
• Positive Sentiment: System sales grew ~12.4% in 2025 with robust backlog and stronger EUV adoption as AI lifts logic and memory demand — supports medium-term revenue visibility. ASML’s Systems Sales Grow in Double Digits: What’s Ahead?
• Positive Sentiment: Sell-side support remains intact — Deutsche Bank and Sanford C. Bernstein both reaffirmed buy ratings, which underpins investor confidence in ASML’s growth trajectory. MarketScreener
• Neutral Sentiment: ASML published its 2025 Annual Reports highlighting strategy and R&D commitments; useful for long-term investors but not an immediate stock catalyst. ASML publishes 2025 Annual Reports
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces and broker note roundups (e.g., “Brokers Suggest Investing in ASML”) reiterate positive analyst consensus but are informational rather than new fundamental catalysts. Brokers Suggest Investing in ASML
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest data is mixed: a February snapshot shows short interest down (~997,678 shares, ~0.3% of float, ~0.6 days-to-cover), which reduces squeeze risk; another entry contains inconsistent/zero values and should be treated as unreliable. (Data items provided internally.)
• Negative Sentiment: Market dynamics and sector rotation (heightened volatility around AI themes) can drive short-term profit-taking in high-PE, high-beta names like ASML — Barron’s and market commentary note rotation/volatility that can weigh on near-term price action. The Anti-AI Trade Is Red Hot. Here’s What’s Winning.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently commented on ASML. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating on shares of ASML in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of ASML from $1,450.00 to $1,650.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. KGI Securities set a $1,415.00 price objective on shares of ASML and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Susquehanna restated a “positive” rating on shares of ASML in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Grupo Santander downgraded ASML to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, ASML presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,475.00.

ASML Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $575.53 billion, a PE ratio of 56.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.89. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $1,305.80 and its 200-day moving average is $1,074.85.

ASML Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 5th. Investors of record on Monday, April 27th will be issued a dividend of $3.1771 per share. This is a boost from ASML’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.88. This represents a $12.71 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 27th. ASML’s dividend payout ratio is 25.10%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ASML

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of ASML by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 4,484,949 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $4,798,268,000 after purchasing an additional 132,353 shares in the last quarter. 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 acquiring an additional 577,448 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its stake in shares of ASML by 16.6% during 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 acquiring an additional 305,435 shares during the last quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC increased its position in ASML by 24.9% during the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in ASML by 8.3% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,865,254 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $1,805,733,000 after purchasing an additional 142,763 shares during the last quarter. 26.07% of the stock is 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.