Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) Research Coverage Started at StockNews.com

StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) in a research note issued to investors on Saturday. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the stock.

Lifeway Foods Stock Up 0.5 %

NASDAQ:LWAY opened at $23.97 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $22.15 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $23.62. Lifeway Foods has a 52 week low of $10.06 and a 52 week high of $28.61. The stock has a market cap of $364.42 million, a PE ratio of 27.87 and a beta of 1.00.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) last issued its earnings results on Friday, March 14th. The company reported ($0.01) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.18 by ($0.19). Lifeway Foods had a net margin of 7.23% and a return on equity of 19.97%. The business had revenue of $46.93 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $48.00 million.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lifeway Foods news, major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.23, for a total value of $464,600.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 1,251,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $29,075,643.66. The trade was a 1.57 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.31, for a total value of $213,100.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 17,343 shares in the company, valued at $369,579.33. This trade represents a 36.57 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 142,034 shares of company stock worth $3,261,817. 18.86% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lifeway Foods

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Algert Global LLC lifted its position in Lifeway Foods by 8.1% during the fourth quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 9,076 shares of the company’s stock valued at $225,000 after purchasing an additional 680 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 11.0% in the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 7,127 shares of the company’s stock valued at $176,000 after acquiring an additional 707 shares during the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 33.6% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,855 shares of the company’s stock valued at $71,000 after acquiring an additional 718 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in Lifeway Foods by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 55,841 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,385,000 after acquiring an additional 868 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL increased its stake in Lifeway Foods by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 120,350 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,985,000 after acquiring an additional 1,050 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 36.39% of the company’s stock.

About Lifeway Foods

Lifeway Foods, Inc produces and markets probiotic-based products in the United States and internationally. Its primary product is drinkable kefir, a cultured dairy product in various organic and non-organic sizes, flavors, and types. The company offers European-style soft cheeses; cream and other products; ProBugs, a line of kefir products designed for children; drinkable yogurt; and fresh made butter and sour cream.