KBC Group NV Has $263,000 Position in Balchem Corporation (NASDAQ:BCPC)

KBC Group NV raised its stake in Balchem Corporation (NASDAQ:BCPC) by 24.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,582 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 307 shares during the period. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Balchem were worth $263,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Balchem in the fourth quarter valued at about $70,165,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of Balchem by 20,231.2% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 177,288 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $29,430,000 after buying an additional 176,416 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Balchem during the 4th quarter worth approximately $23,628,000. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 85,692 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Balchem during the 4th quarter worth approximately $13,359,000. 87.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Balchem Price Performance

BCPC stock opened at $164.92 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $163.40 and a 200 day simple moving average of $163.06. The stock has a market cap of $5.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.55, a P/E/G ratio of 3.56 and a beta of 0.89. Balchem Corporation has a 1 year low of $145.70 and a 1 year high of $186.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 2.44 and a quick ratio of 1.40.

Balchem (NASDAQ:BCPC) 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 the consensus estimate of $1.25 by ($0.03). Balchem had a return on equity of 12.01% and a net margin of 14.16%. The company had revenue of $250.52 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $245.70 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.03 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Balchem Corporation will post 4.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BCPC has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut Balchem from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. HC Wainwright set a $180.00 price objective on Balchem and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 28th.

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.