Balchem (NASDAQ:BCPC) Shares Gap Down – What’s Next?

Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC)’s share price gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $161.03, but opened at $156.36. Balchem shares last traded at $161.16, with a volume of 8,186 shares traded.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. HC Wainwright increased their price target on Balchem from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Balchem from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th.

Balchem Stock Down 0.6 %

The business has a fifty day moving average price of $168.26 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $170.87. The firm has a market cap of $5.21 billion, a PE ratio of 42.92, a P/E/G ratio of 4.36 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 2.98 and a quick ratio of 1.90.

Balchem Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared an annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 26th were issued a dividend of $0.87 per share. This is a boost from Balchem’s previous annual dividend of $0.79. This represents a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 26th. Balchem’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.39%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Balchem

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BCPC. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Balchem by 1.0% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,234,226 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $217,224,000 after acquiring an additional 12,006 shares during the last quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in Balchem by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,175,569 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $206,900,000 after purchasing an additional 20,360 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Balchem by 3.1% during 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. Geneva Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Balchem by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC now owns 779,869 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $137,257,000 after buying an additional 12,750 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FMR LLC increased its holdings in Balchem by 944.3% in the third 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 last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.91% of the company’s stock.

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.