Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC) Shares Sold by Clearbridge Investments LLC

Clearbridge Investments LLC trimmed its holdings in Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC) by 9.3% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 368,310 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 37,552 shares during the period. Clearbridge Investments LLC’s holdings in Balchem were worth $60,033,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Westside Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in Balchem in the third quarter valued at $27,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Balchem in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in Balchem during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Balchem during the 4th quarter worth approximately $95,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Balchem by 230.8% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 645 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $106,000 after purchasing an additional 450 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.91% of the company’s stock.

Balchem Stock Up 1.3 %

Balchem stock opened at $166.00 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $165.37 and its 200 day moving average price is $169.27. The company has a market cap of $5.40 billion, a PE ratio of 42.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.41 and a beta of 0.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.99 and a quick ratio of 1.16. Balchem Co. has a 1-year low of $137.69 and a 1-year high of $186.03.

Balchem (NASDAQ:BCPC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 21st. The basic materials company reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.11 by ($0.08). Balchem had a return on equity of 11.37% and a net margin of 13.47%. The company had revenue of $240.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $239.96 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Balchem Co. will post 4.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BCPC has been the subject of several recent research reports. StockNews.com downgraded Balchem from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Sidoti raised shares of Balchem to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and set a $190.00 price target on shares of Balchem in a report on Monday, February 24th.

Balchem Profile

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.