Key Points
- CEO Julie Smolyansky purchased 2,000 Lifeway Foods shares at an average price of $25.26, investing $50,520 and increasing her ownership to 2,214,095 shares.
- Lifeway shares opened at $25.04, down 1.6%, after the company reported quarterly EPS of $0.01—well below the $0.26 consensus estimate—despite revenue of $66.89 million exceeding expectations.
- Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a consensus “Buy” rating and an average price target of $34, although some firms recently downgraded the stock to “Hold” or “Sell.”
Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) CEO Julie Smolyansky bought 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $25.26 per share, with a total value of $50,520.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 2,214,095 shares of the company's stock, valued at $55,928,039.70. The trade was a 0.09% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.
Lifeway Foods Stock Down 1.6%
Shares of NASDAQ LWAY opened at $25.04 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 2.09, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $378.35 million, a PE ratio of 35.77 and a beta of 0.44. The firm's 50-day moving average is $29.09 and its 200-day moving average is $25.12. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a 1 year low of $17.31 and a 1 year high of $34.20.
Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The company reported $0.01 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.26 by ($0.25). Lifeway Foods had a net margin of 4.48% and a return on equity of 12.66%. The business had revenue of $66.89 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $61.40 million.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several equities analysts have weighed in on LWAY shares. Wall Street Zen lowered Lifeway Foods from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 15th. Weiss Ratings cut Lifeway Foods from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Benchmark reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Lifeway Foods in a research note on Monday, June 15th. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Lifeway Foods from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, BTIG Research started coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods in a research note on Thursday. They issued a "buy" rating and a $32.00 target price for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lifeway Foods presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $34.00.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Lifeway Foods
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wellington Management Group LLP bought a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods during the second quarter worth $17,459,000. Pillsbury Lake Capital LLC bought a new stake in Lifeway Foods in the 2nd quarter valued at $8,704,597,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in Lifeway Foods in the 2nd quarter worth $1,140,000. Man Group plc acquired a new position in Lifeway Foods in the 2nd quarter worth $705,000. Finally, AWM Investment Company Inc. bought a new position in Lifeway Foods during the 2nd quarter worth about $6,654,000. Institutional investors own 36.39% of the company's stock.
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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