Voloridge Investment Management LLC Raises Stake in Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC)

Voloridge Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC - Free Report) by 41.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 26,178 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 7,608 shares during the quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC owned about 0.08% of Balchem worth $4,267,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Covestor Ltd boosted its stake in Balchem by 93.8% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 157 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Balchem during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Federated Hermes Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Balchem during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Balchem during the fourth quarter worth $95,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Balchem by 230.8% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 645 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $106,000 after purchasing an additional 450 shares during the last quarter. 87.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Balchem Stock Performance

NASDAQ BCPC traded down $0.08 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $166.10. The stock had a trading volume of 153,968 shares, compared to its average volume of 138,521. Balchem Co. has a 52-week low of $145.70 and a 52-week high of $186.03. The stock has a market cap of $5.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.41 and a beta of 0.93. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $162.12 and a 200 day moving average of $165.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 1.99.

Balchem (NASDAQ:BCPC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The basic materials company reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by ($0.03). Balchem had a net margin of 13.47% and a return on equity of 11.37%. The company had revenue of $250.52 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $245.70 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.03 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Balchem Co. will post 4.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BCPC has been the subject of several research analyst reports. HC Wainwright set a $180.00 target price on Balchem and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Sidoti upgraded Balchem to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Balchem from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st.

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.