Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC) Shares Acquired by Barclays PLC

Barclays PLC grew its stake in shares of Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC - Free Report) by 10.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 67,213 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 6,436 shares during the quarter. Barclays PLC owned 0.21% of Balchem worth $10,955,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its position in Balchem by 15.3% during the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 2,229 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $391,000 after acquiring an additional 295 shares in the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Balchem during the third quarter worth $27,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in shares of Balchem in the third quarter valued at $35,000. Tidal Investments LLC grew its holdings in Balchem by 10.5% during the 3rd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 7,975 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $1,404,000 after purchasing an additional 761 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Independent Solutions Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Balchem during the 3rd quarter worth $203,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.91% of the company's stock.

Balchem Stock Down 0.4 %

BCPC stock traded down $0.56 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $153.64. 171,999 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 132,399. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $164.09 and a 200 day simple moving average of $167.19. The company has a market capitalization of $5.00 billion, a PE ratio of 39.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.41 and a beta of 0.75. Balchem Co. has a twelve month low of $137.69 and a twelve month high of $186.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.99, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19.

Balchem (NASDAQ:BCPC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The basic materials company reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $245.70 million. On average, research analysts forecast that Balchem Co. will post 4.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Sidoti upgraded Balchem to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating and set a $190.00 price objective on shares of Balchem in a research note on Monday, February 24th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Balchem from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research 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.