Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC) Shares Purchased by Congress Asset Management Co.

Congress Asset Management Co. increased its holdings in shares of Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC) by 12.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 301,440 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 33,373 shares during the period. Congress Asset Management Co.’s holdings in Balchem were worth $53,053,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Balchem by 3.8% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,935,935 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $609,873,000 after acquiring an additional 144,423 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its holdings in Balchem by 32.2% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 193,146 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $29,929,000 after purchasing an additional 47,036 shares during the period. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in Balchem by 2.7% in the 2nd quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,155,209 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $177,844,000 after purchasing an additional 29,825 shares in the last quarter. Watts Gwilliam & Co. LLC purchased a new position in shares of Balchem in the 3rd quarter valued at about $3,639,000. Finally, William Blair Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Balchem by 8.4% in the second quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 233,831 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $35,998,000 after buying an additional 18,104 shares in the last quarter. 87.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Balchem Stock Performance

BCPC traded down $0.90 on Thursday, hitting $167.98. 5,990 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 106,572. The company has a 50 day moving average of $171.75 and a 200-day moving average of $162.70. Balchem Co. has a 12-month low of $114.97 and a 12-month high of $186.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.45 billion, a PE ratio of 47.71, a PEG ratio of 5.43 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a quick ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 2.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on BCPC shares. StockNews.com upgraded Balchem from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. HC Wainwright increased their price target on shares of Balchem from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st.

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.