Balchem (NASDAQ:BCPC) Shares Down 85.7% - Here's Why

Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC - Get Free Report)'s share price fell 85.7% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $158.06 and last traded at $22.38. 42,771 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 68% from the average session volume of 133,709 shares. The stock had previously closed at $156.88.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on BCPC shares. Sidoti raised Balchem to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. HC Wainwright set a $180.00 target price on shares of Balchem and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Balchem from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th.

Balchem Stock Up 1.2 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 1.99. The company has a market capitalization of $5.41 billion, a PE ratio of 42.22, a PEG ratio of 4.41 and a beta of 0.93. The stock's 50 day moving average is $162.71 and its 200 day moving average is $166.52.

Balchem (NASDAQ:BCPC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The basic materials company reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.25 by ($0.03). Balchem had a return on equity of 11.37% and a net margin of 13.47%. The firm had revenue of $250.52 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $245.70 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.03 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Balchem Co. will post 4.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Balchem

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quadrant Capital Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Balchem by 8.2% in the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 989 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $161,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd increased its stake in Balchem by 93.8% in the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 157 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System boosted its holdings in shares of Balchem by 0.8% in the fourth 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 during the period. Vident Advisory LLC boosted its stake in Balchem by 6.0% in the 4th quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 1,421 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $232,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its stake in shares of Balchem by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 3,840 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $626,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. 87.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.