Commonwealth Equity Services LLC Sells 572 Shares of Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC)

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lessened its stake in shares of Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC) by 4.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 11,990 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 572 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC’s holdings in Balchem were worth $1,954,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Westside Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Balchem during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Balchem during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in Balchem during the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Balchem in the 4th quarter valued at $95,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Balchem by 230.8% in 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 period. 87.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of Balchem from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Sidoti upgraded Balchem to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $190.00 target price on shares of Balchem in a report on Monday, February 24th.

Balchem Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:BCPC opened at $163.79 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The company has a market capitalization of $5.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.41 and a beta of 0.63. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $165.26 and a 200 day moving average of $169.23. Balchem Co. has a 52 week low of $137.69 and a 52 week high of $186.03.

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

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.