Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC) Shares Sold by Lazard Asset Management LLC

Lazard Asset Management LLC decreased its holdings in Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC - Free Report) by 12.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 14,683 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 2,074 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC's holdings in Balchem were worth $2,393,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of BCPC. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Balchem during the 4th quarter worth $70,165,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Balchem during the 4th quarter worth $23,628,000. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in Balchem by 120.9% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 156,562 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $25,519,000 after buying an additional 85,692 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Balchem during the 4th quarter worth $13,359,000. Finally, FMR LLC increased its holdings in shares of Balchem by 16.0% in the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 576,994 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $94,047,000 after purchasing an additional 79,499 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.91% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on BCPC. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Balchem from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday. HC Wainwright set a $180.00 price target on shares of Balchem and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 28th. Finally, Sidoti upgraded shares of Balchem to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th.

Balchem Price Performance

Shares of BCPC traded down $1.59 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $165.96. The company had a trading volume of 93,766 shares, compared to its average volume of 137,528. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $161.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of $166.27. 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 company has a market capitalization of $5.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.23, a PEG ratio of 4.41 and a beta of 0.93. Balchem Co. has a 12-month low of $145.70 and a 12-month high of $186.03.

Balchem (NASDAQ:BCPC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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). The business had revenue of $250.52 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $245.70 million. Balchem had a net margin of 13.47% and a return on equity of 11.37%. Balchem's revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.03 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Balchem Co. will post 4.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Balchem Company 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.