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

StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) in a research report released on Tuesday. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the stock.

Lifeway Foods Stock Performance

Lifeway Foods stock opened at $23.72 on Tuesday. Lifeway Foods has a fifty-two week low of $10.06 and a fifty-two week high of $28.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $360.62 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.58 and a beta of 0.93. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $22.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $23.75.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, March 14th. The company reported ($0.01) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $48.00 million.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lifeway Foods

In other Lifeway Foods news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.31, for a total transaction of $213,100.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 17,343 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $369,579.33. This trade represents a 36.57 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.23, for a total transaction of $464,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 1,251,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $29,075,643.66. This represents a 1.57 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 48,376 shares of company stock worth $1,110,641. 18.86% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lifeway Foods

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its position in Lifeway Foods by 8.2% during the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 6,068 shares of the company’s stock worth $148,000 after buying an additional 462 shares during the period. Algert Global LLC increased its stake in shares of Lifeway Foods by 8.1% during the 4th quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 9,076 shares of the company’s stock valued at $225,000 after acquiring an additional 680 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 11.0% during the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 7,127 shares of the company’s stock worth $176,000 after acquiring an additional 707 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its position in shares of Lifeway Foods by 33.6% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,855 shares of the company’s stock worth $71,000 after acquiring an additional 718 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings 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 valued at $1,385,000 after purchasing an additional 868 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.