Shares of Balchem Corporation (NASDAQ: BCPC) rose 4.46% to $185.40 on Friday afternoon after the specialty ingredients manufacturer reported fourth-quarter earnings and revenue that exceeded Wall Street estimates.

The intraday move pushed the stock to a new 52-week high, extending a steady recovery from its 52-week low of $139.17. Prior to the earnings release, the stock had gained approximately 15.1% over the last three months, reflecting investor confidence in the company’s “better-for-you” product portfolio.

Quarterly Performance

For the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2025, Balchem reported net sales of $263.6 million, a 9.8% increase from $240.0 million in the same period last year. The result beat the analyst consensus estimate of $259.6 million.

GAAP net earnings for the fourth quarter reached $39.2 million, or $1.21 per diluted share, up 16.8% from $33.6 million, or $1.03 per share, a year earlier. On an adjusted basis, the company earned $1.31 per share, surpassing the analyst consensus of $1.18.

The company reported record adjusted EBITDA of $67.9 million, an 8.1% year-over-year increase. Consolidated gross margin for the quarter was $93.9 million, representing 35.6% of sales. While margins expanded in absolute dollar terms, they saw a slight 40-basis-point compression as a percentage of sales due to higher manufacturing input costs.

Segment Results

Growth was reported across all three of Balchem’s reporting segments:

• Human Nutrition and Health: Sales rose 12.7% to $166.1 million, driven by higher demand for specialty nutrients and food ingredients.
• Animal Nutrition and Health: Sales increased 4.9% to $61.2 million, supported by growth in ruminant and monogastric species markets.
• Specialty Products: Sales grew 6.0% to $34.8 million, led by higher volumes in the performance gases business.

Full-Year 2025 Context

For the full year 2025, Balchem generated record net sales of $1.037 billion, an 8.8% increase over 2024. This marks the first time the company has surpassed the billion-dollar annual revenue threshold.

GAAP net earnings for the year rose 20.5% to $154.8 million. The company generated $173.6 million in free cash flow for the year, ending December with $74.6 million in cash and a net leverage ratio of 0.3x. In the fourth quarter alone, Balchem repurchased $53.6 million of common stock.

Sector Outlook

The performance of Balchem comes as broader equity markets face volatility, particularly within the technology sector. While SaaS and software stocks have faced significant valuation pressure due to high interest rates and cautious enterprise spending, Balchem’s results highlight a shift toward defensive industrial and consumer staple sectors that demonstrate tangible free cash flow and dividend growth.