Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC) Shares Sold by Bank of Montreal Can

Bank of Montreal Can lowered its stake in shares of Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC - Free Report) by 80.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 28,032 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 112,293 shares during the quarter. Bank of Montreal Can owned 0.09% of Balchem worth $4,321,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Evergreen Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Balchem in the 2nd quarter worth $268,000. Public Sector Pension Investment Board lifted its holdings in shares of Balchem by 7.9% in the 2nd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 71,312 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $10,978,000 after buying an additional 5,220 shares during the period. Benjamin Edwards Inc. raised its position in shares of Balchem by 6.6% in the 2nd quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 2,231 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $344,000 after acquiring an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Balchem in the 2nd quarter worth $852,000. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its position in shares of Balchem by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 4,915 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $757,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.91% of the company's stock.

Balchem Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ BCPC traded up $1.59 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $174.16. The stock had a trading volume of 92,355 shares, compared to its average volume of 107,943. The company has a market capitalization of $5.65 billion, a PE ratio of 48.83, a P/E/G ratio of 5.54 and a beta of 0.65. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $171.54 and a 200-day simple moving average of $160.24. Balchem Co. has a 1 year low of $110.74 and a 1 year high of $186.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 2.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26.

Balchem (NASDAQ:BCPC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, July 26th. The basic materials company reported $0.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.95 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $234.08 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $241.26 million. Balchem had a return on equity of 10.94% and a net margin of 12.52%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Balchem Co. will post 3.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Balchem

In related news, SVP Gunsteren Job Leonard Van sold 7,750 shares of Balchem stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.05, for a total value of $1,395,387.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 8,540 shares in the company, valued at $1,537,627. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.25% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on BCPC. HC Wainwright increased their price objective on Balchem from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. StockNews.com downgraded Balchem from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 29th.

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.