Industry Overview - The chemicals industry experienced significant growth prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, but has since faced a downturn, with growth rates dropping to under 2% per year since late 2022, compared to a 24% annual increase in global indexes during the same period [1][2] Factors Affecting Performance - Persistent inflation, high energy prices, regulatory changes, and an imbalance between production capacity and demand have contributed to the industry's decline [2] - Industries that heavily utilize chemical products, such as consumer packaged goods and automotive, have seen slowed or reversed growth, negatively impacting demand for chemicals [2] Company-Specific Insights Quaker Houghton - Quaker Houghton has faced challenges due to soft-end market conditions, resulting in a 6% year-over-year decline in net sales to $462 million for the latest quarter [5][6] - Despite these challenges, new business initiatives and strong pricing have helped mitigate negative impacts [3][5] - The company is expected to potentially overcome pandemic-related setbacks in 2025 [6] Balchem Corporation - Balchem has performed better than Quaker, with a one-year return of 16.3% and a more than 4% increase in net sales year-over-year, driven by its Human Nutrition and Health and Special Products segments [7][8] - The Human Nutrition and Health segment may see further growth if political changes favor the industry [8] - Balchem's free cash flow of over $42 million allowed it to reduce debt and increase dividends by 10%, maintaining a manageable payout ratio of 23.4% [9] H.B. Fuller - H.B. Fuller has diversified its operations through acquisitions, leading to increased net debt of about $2 billion, but maintains a solid foundation with $3.5 billion in sales for 2023 [11] - The company has seen a decline of over 15% in share price over the past year, making it a potential value candidate with a P/S ratio of about 1.1 [12] - Analysts rate H.B. Fuller as a Moderate Buy, with a consensus price target of $92.75, indicating a potential upside of about 34% from current levels [12]

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of identifying and sustaining trends in short-term investing, highlighting that a solid trend can lead to successful trading [1][2]. Group 1: Stock Performance - Blachem (BCPC) has shown a solid price increase of 1.2% over the past 12 weeks, indicating investor confidence in its potential upside [4]. - The stock has maintained a price increase of 0.4% over the last four weeks, suggesting that the upward trend is still intact [5]. - BCPC is currently trading at 85% of its 52-week high-low range, indicating a potential breakout opportunity [5]. Group 2: Fundamental Strength - BCPC holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimate revisions and EPS surprises [6]. - The stock has an Average Broker Recommendation of 1 (Strong Buy), reflecting high optimism from the brokerage community regarding its near-term price performance [7]. Group 3: Investment Strategy - The article suggests utilizing the "Recent Price Strength" screen to identify stocks like BCPC that are on an uptrend supported by strong fundamentals [3][8]. - It mentions that there are over 45 Zacks Premium Screens available for investors to find winning stock picks based on their personal investing styles [8].

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the importance of confirming the sustainability of stock trends for profitable short-term investing, highlighting the need for sound fundamentals and positive earnings estimates to maintain momentum [1][2]. Group 1: Stock Performance - Blachem (BCPC) has shown a solid price increase of 3.7% over the past 12 weeks, indicating investor willingness to pay more for potential upside [4]. - Over the last four weeks, BCPC's price increased by 6.8%, suggesting that the upward trend is still intact [5]. - BCPC is currently trading at 87.7% of its 52-week high-low range, indicating a potential breakout [5]. Group 2: Fundamental Strength - BCPC holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimate revisions and EPS surprises [6]. - The stock has an Average Broker Recommendation of 1 (Strong Buy), reflecting high optimism from the brokerage community regarding its near-term price performance [7]. Group 3: Investment Strategy - The article suggests using the "Recent Price Strength" screen to identify stocks like BCPC that are on an uptrend supported by strong fundamentals [3]. - It mentions that there are over 45 Zacks Premium Screens available for investors to find winning stock picks based on their personal investing styles [8].

Core Insights - Blachem (BCPC) has shown strong year-to-date performance, returning approximately 18.9%, significantly outperforming the Basic Materials sector, which has returned an average of -4.6% [4] - The Zacks Rank for Blachem is 2 (Buy), indicating a favorable outlook based on earnings estimate revisions and improving earnings outlooks [3] - Blachem belongs to the Chemical - Specialty industry, which has an average year-to-date loss of 13.7%, further highlighting its strong performance relative to peers [6] Company Performance - Blachem's full-year earnings consensus estimate has increased by 5.7% over the past three months, reflecting stronger analyst sentiment [4] - The stock is currently ranked 14 in the Zacks Sector Rank, which includes 235 companies in the Basic Materials group [2] Industry Comparison - L.B. Foster (FSTR), another outperforming stock in the Basic Materials sector, has returned 8.1% year-to-date, with a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [5] - The Steel - Producers industry, to which L.B. Foster belongs, has experienced a year-to-date decline of 19.2%, indicating a challenging environment compared to Blachem's performance [7]

Core Viewpoint - Blachem (BCPC) has been upgraded to a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), indicating a positive trend in earnings estimates which is a significant factor influencing stock prices [1][2]. Earnings Estimates and Stock Price Movement - The Zacks rating system highlights the strong correlation between changes in earnings estimates and near-term stock price movements, making it a valuable tool for investors [2][3]. - Institutional investors utilize earnings estimates to determine the fair value of stocks, leading to price movements based on their buying or selling activities [3]. Business Improvement Indicators - The upgrade in Blachem's rating suggests an improvement in the company's underlying business, which is expected to be reflected in higher stock prices [4]. - Blachem is projected to earn $4.09 per share for the fiscal year ending December 2024, marking a year-over-year increase of 22.1% [7]. Zacks Rank System - The Zacks Rank system categorizes stocks into five groups based on earnings estimates, with Zacks Rank 1 stocks historically generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988 [6]. - Blachem's upgrade places it in the top 5% of Zacks-covered stocks, indicating a strong potential for market-beating returns in the near term [9].

MONTVALE, N.J., Nov. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Balchem Corporation (NASDAQ: BCPC), a global specialty ingredient manufacturer for health and nutrition markets, announced they will present at Baird’s 54th Annual Global Industrial Conference on November 13, 2024. Ted Harris, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, Martin Bengtsson, Chief Financial Officer and Allison Baurichter, Senior Director Investor Relations will present at the conference. About Balchem Corporation Balchem Corpor ...

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Balchem Corporation (NASDAQ:BCPC) Q3 2024 Earnings Conference Call October 25, 2024 11:00 AM ET Company Participants Martin Bengtsson - Chief Financial Officer Ted Harris - Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Conference Call Participants Robert Labick - CJS Securities Raghuram Selvaraju - H.C. Wainwright & Co Kyle May - Sidoti and Company Operator Greetings, and welcome to the Balchem's Third Quarter 2024 Earnings Call. At this time all participants are in a listen-only mode. A question-and-answ ...

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 10-Q (Mark One) ☑ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2024 OR ☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from ____ to ____ Commission file number: 1-13648 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ...

Blachem (BCPC) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.03 per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. This compares to earnings of $0.90 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.A quarter ago, it was expected that this chemical company would post earnings of $0.95 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.98, delivering a surprise of 3.16%.Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates just once.Blachem, which belongs to the Z ...