Key Points
- Edward Smolyansky, a major shareholder, sold 22,313 Lifeway shares on March 17 at an average price of $20.10, totaling $448,491.30, trimming his stake by 1.96% to 1,115,995 shares (≈$22.43M).
- Lifeway missed on EPS, reporting $0.16 versus analysts' $0.29 estimate (revenue $55.36M), and the stock traded down roughly 3.8%, opening at $18.49.
- Institutions have been active in LWAY (hedge funds own ~36.39%), and analysts hold a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $34.33.
Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 13,334 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.60, for a total transaction of $274,680.40. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 1,138,308 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,449,144.80. This represents a 1.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Major shareholders that own 10% or more of a company's stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.
Edward Smolyansky also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Tuesday, March 17th, Edward Smolyansky sold 22,313 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.10, for a total transaction of $448,491.30.
Lifeway Foods Stock Down 3.8%
LWAY stock opened at $18.49 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $281.60 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.54 and a beta of 0.13. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $21.74 and its 200 day simple moving average is $24.30. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a 12-month low of $18.42 and a 12-month high of $34.20.
Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 17th. The company reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.29 by ($0.13). Lifeway Foods had a return on equity of 17.65% and a net margin of 6.52%.The business had revenue of $55.36 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $55.00 million.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several brokerages have issued reports on LWAY. Benchmark reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Lifeway Foods in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Lifeway Foods in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Lifeway Foods from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $35.00 target price on shares of Lifeway Foods in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Lifeway Foods currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $34.33.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on Lifeway Foods
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Susquehanna Portfolio Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in Lifeway Foods in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $258,000. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL lifted its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 73.0% in the 4th quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 163,361 shares of the company's stock worth $3,958,000 after purchasing an additional 68,956 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in Lifeway Foods by 266.3% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 57,545 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,394,000 after purchasing an additional 41,836 shares in the last quarter. Man Group plc acquired a new position in Lifeway Foods during the fourth quarter worth $206,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lifeway Foods by 18.5% in the fourth quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 19,585 shares of the company's stock valued at $475,000 after buying an additional 3,062 shares in the last quarter. 36.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Lifeway Foods Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
Lifeway Foods, Inc (NASDAQ: LWAY) is a Chicago-based food company specializing in probiotic-rich cultured dairy products. Established in 1986 by Michael Smolyansky, the company pioneered the introduction of kefir to the U.S. market. Under the leadership of CEO Julie Smolyansky, who succeeded her father in 2002, Lifeway has grown from a single product operation into a diversified portfolio of fermented foods and beverages aimed at promoting digestive health and wellness.
The company's flagship product is kefir, a cultured milk beverage naturally rich in probiotics, vitamins and minerals.
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