Key Points
- Lifeway Foods major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares on May 15 at an average price of $24.64, totaling $492,800. After the sale, she still held 712,823 shares valued at about $17.6 million.
- The insider has been selling shares repeatedly, including 15,000 shares on April 20 and 10,000 shares on March 18, which may add to investor focus on insider activity.
- Lifeway recently reported solid quarterly results, with EPS of $0.30 in line with estimates and revenue of $63.01 million, above expectations. The stock was also up 5.9% and analysts currently rate it a “Moderate Buy” with a $34.33 target price.
Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.64, for a total transaction of $492,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 712,823 shares in the company, valued at $17,563,958.72. This trade represents a 2.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Large shareholders that own more than 10% of a company's shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.
Ludmila Smolyansky also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Monday, April 20th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 15,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.50, for a total transaction of $397,500.00.
- On Wednesday, March 18th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 10,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.74, for a total transaction of $187,400.00.
Lifeway Foods Stock Up 5.9%
Shares of NASDAQ LWAY opened at $25.20 on Wednesday. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a 12-month low of $17.31 and a 12-month high of $34.20. The company has a market capitalization of $385.06 million, a PE ratio of 25.98 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 2.14 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The firm's 50-day moving average is $23.22 and its two-hundred day moving average is $22.96.
Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.30. The company had revenue of $63.01 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $60.80 million. Lifeway Foods had a net margin of 6.54% and a return on equity of 17.76%.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lifeway Foods
A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of LWAY. Larson Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in Lifeway Foods by 577.3% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,551 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 1,322 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Lifeway Foods during the second quarter worth approximately $40,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund increased its position in Lifeway Foods by 433.3% during the third quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 1,600 shares of the company's stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 1,300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue increased its position in Lifeway Foods by 302.0% during the fourth quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 2,967 shares of the company's stock worth $71,000 after purchasing an additional 2,229 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 36.39% of the company's stock.
More Lifeway Foods News
Here are the key news stories impacting Lifeway Foods this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Major shareholder Divisadero Street Capital made notable purchases of Lifeway Foods shares, including 33,174 shares at $25.27 and a larger 131,871-share buy at $25.50. Insider buying can be viewed as a vote of confidence in the company’s outlook. Insider trading reference
- Neutral Sentiment: Lifeway Foods reported solid first-quarter results last week, meeting EPS expectations at $0.30 and topping revenue estimates with $63.01 million in sales. That keeps the fundamental backdrop constructive for the stock. LWAY stock overview
- Negative Sentiment: Major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 24,000 shares at $24.87 and 25,000 shares at $25.34, while Ludmila Smolyansky also sold 20,000 shares at $24.64. Multiple insider sales may pressure sentiment because they can suggest some shareholders are taking profits. Article on Edward Smolyansky sales
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on LWAY shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Lifeway Foods from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Lifeway Foods from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $34.33.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on LWAY
About Lifeway Foods
(
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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