Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC) Shares Bought by Wells Fargo & Company MN

Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its holdings in Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC) by 13.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 48,365 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 5,846 shares during the quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN owned 0.15% of Balchem worth $7,883,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Arizona State Retirement System increased its holdings in shares of Balchem by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 9,413 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,534,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Heritage Family Offices LLP boosted its stake in shares of Balchem by 8.3% during the 4th quarter. Heritage Family Offices LLP now owns 1,420 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $231,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of Balchem by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 2,462 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $401,000 after acquiring an additional 114 shares during the period. Westside Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in Balchem during the third quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Huntington National Bank grew its holdings in Balchem by 30.9% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 661 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $108,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.91% of the company’s stock.

Balchem Price Performance

BCPC stock opened at $161.50 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $5.25 billion, a PE ratio of 41.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.41 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a current ratio of 1.99, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $164.81 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $167.79. Balchem Co. has a 12-month low of $137.69 and a 12-month high of $186.03.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on BCPC. StockNews.com downgraded Balchem from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $190.00 price objective on shares of Balchem in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, Sidoti upgraded shares of Balchem to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th.

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.