Laurus Investment Counsel Inc. Sells 900 Shares of Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC)

Laurus Investment Counsel Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC) by 4.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 19,090 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 900 shares during the period. Balchem accounts for about 1.4% of Laurus Investment Counsel Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Laurus Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Balchem were worth $2,840,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Balchem by 1.0% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 4,890,972 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $668,595,000 after acquiring an additional 46,959 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Balchem by 7.3% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,862,027 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $469,545,000 after purchasing an additional 261,534 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in Balchem by 2.1% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,109,115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $149,520,000 after purchasing an additional 23,065 shares in the last quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in Balchem by 2.0% in the third quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,076,327 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $133,508,000 after purchasing an additional 21,605 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Balchem by 4.2% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 684,976 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $92,342,000 after purchasing an additional 27,520 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.91% of the company’s stock.

Balchem Stock Performance

Shares of BCPC opened at $154.46 on Thursday. Balchem Co. has a 12 month low of $110.74 and a 12 month high of $159.52. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $149.73 and a 200-day moving average price of $136.95. The company has a current ratio of 2.12, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The firm has a market cap of $4.98 billion, a PE ratio of 46.11, a P/E/G ratio of 4.63 and a beta of 0.71.

Balchem (NASDAQ:BCPC) last issued its earnings results on Friday, February 16th. The basic materials company reported $0.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $228.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $234.66 million. Balchem had a return on equity of 10.69% and a net margin of 11.77%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.66 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Balchem Co. will post 4.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Balchem news, SVP Michael Robert Sestrick sold 11,100 shares of Balchem stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.21, for a total transaction of $1,700,631.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 6,736 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,032,022.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, SVP Michael Robert Sestrick sold 11,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.21, for a total transaction of $1,700,631.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 6,736 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,032,022.56. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO William A. Backus sold 7,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.19, for a total value of $1,086,330.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,914 shares in the company, valued at $917,793.66. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 76,630 shares of company stock worth $11,843,249 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 1.77% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com raised Balchem from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 21st.

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.