Bath Savings Trust Co Reduces Stock Position in Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC)

Bath Savings Trust Co decreased its position in Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC) by 6.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 33,602 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 2,485 shares during the quarter. Bath Savings Trust Co owned approximately 0.10% of Balchem worth $5,477,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in Balchem by 944.3% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 497,495 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $87,559,000 after buying an additional 449,854 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in Balchem by 129.7% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 98,853 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $17,398,000 after acquiring an additional 55,822 shares during the period. Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in Balchem by 405.8% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 60,777 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $10,695,000 after acquiring an additional 48,762 shares in the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. increased its position in Balchem by 12.4% during the 3rd quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 301,440 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $53,053,000 after purchasing an additional 33,373 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Balchem by 3.1% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 928,904 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $163,514,000 after purchasing an additional 27,979 shares in the last quarter. 87.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Balchem Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of NASDAQ:BCPC traded down $0.78 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $156.38. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 43,113 shares, compared to its average volume of 106,800. The company has a quick ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 2.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $173.49 and a 200-day moving average of $170.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.04, a PEG ratio of 5.32 and a beta of 0.69. Balchem Co. has a 12-month low of $135.84 and a 12-month high of $186.03.

Balchem Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced an annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 26th will be paid a dividend of $0.87 per share. This is an increase from Balchem’s previous annual dividend of $0.79. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 26th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.4%. Balchem’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.39%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on BCPC shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Balchem from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. HC Wainwright upped their target price on Balchem from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th.

Balchem 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.