ASML Shares Slide as Trading Volume Drops 31% and Rank Falls to 102nd Amid Shifting Investor Focus to AI

On August 21, 2025, ASML shares fell 1.88% to $732.36, with a trading volume of 948,966, down 31.26% from the previous day. The stock ranked 102nd in trading activity. The company’s market capitalization stood at $289.159 billion.

Artisan Value Fund highlighted ASML in its Q2 2025 investor letter, noting the firm’s role in advanced semiconductor lithography. The fund reported 80 hedge funds held ASML as of Q1 2025, down from 86 in the prior quarter. While acknowledging ASML’s long-term potential, the letter emphasized AI stocks as offering higher upside and lower risk.

Analyst ratings for ASML remain mixed, with a "Moderate Buy" consensus based on six buy and seven hold ratings. Short interest in the stock rose 16.59% recently, reflecting cautious sentiment. Institutional ownership remains at 26.07%, with recent transactions including purchases by Renaissance Technologies LLC and BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC.

A backtested strategy of holding the top 500 volume stocks for one day from 2022 achieved a 6.98% CAGR but faced a 15.59% maximum drawdown. The approach showed steady growth overall, underscoring the need for risk management amid volatility, particularly during the 2023 downturn.