Wasatch Advisors LP Has $291.59 Million Position in Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC)

Wasatch Advisors LP decreased its holdings in shares of Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC) by 1.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,881,814 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 28,595 shares during the period. Balchem comprises 1.5% of Wasatch Advisors LP’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Wasatch Advisors LP owned about 5.83% of Balchem worth $291,587,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Signaturefd LLC lifted its position in shares of Balchem by 123.0% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 165 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the period. Principal Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of Balchem during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Balchem in the 4th quarter valued at $56,000. Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in shares of Balchem by 17.8% in the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 953 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $142,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Private Advisor Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Balchem during the 4th quarter worth about $209,000. 87.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have weighed in on BCPC shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Balchem from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 10th. HC Wainwright increased their price target on Balchem from $167.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 6th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Balchem

In other news, Director David B. Fischer sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $152.98, for a total value of $764,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 9,009 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,378,196.82. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, Director David B. Fischer sold 5,000 shares of Balchem stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $152.98, for a total transaction of $764,900.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 9,009 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,378,196.82. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Michael Robert Sestrick sold 1,929 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $154.45, for a total value of $297,934.05. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 4,878 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $753,407.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.25% of the company’s stock.

Balchem Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:BCPC traded up $4.72 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $158.82. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 116,854 shares, compared to its average volume of 103,087. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $151.69 and its 200-day simple moving average is $149.37. The company has a market capitalization of $5.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.86, a P/E/G ratio of 3.63 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 2.61 and a quick ratio of 1.72. Balchem Co. has a fifty-two week low of $110.74 and a fifty-two week high of $159.52.

Balchem (NASDAQ:BCPC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 3rd. The basic materials company reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.94 by ($0.05). Balchem had a net margin of 12.35% and a return on equity of 11.03%. The company had revenue of $239.66 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $234.12 million. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Balchem Co. will post 3.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Balchem

Balchem Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets specialty performance ingredients and products for the nutritional, food, pharmaceutical, animal health, medical device sterilization, plant nutrition, and industrial markets worldwide. It operates through three segments: Human Nutrition and Health, Animal Nutrition and Health, and Specialty Products.