Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at StockNews.com

Equities research analysts at StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) in a research report issued on Wednesday. The firm set a “hold” rating on the stock.

Lifeway Foods Stock Performance

Shares of LWAY opened at $23.49 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $357.12 million, a PE ratio of 27.31 and a beta of 0.93. The company’s fifty day moving average is $22.78 and its 200 day moving average is $23.65. Lifeway Foods has a fifty-two week low of $10.06 and a fifty-two week high of $28.61.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lifeway Foods news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.51, for a total value of $235,100.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 955,823 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,471,398.73. This represents a 1.04 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction 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 approximately $29,075,643.66. This trade represents a 1.57 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 66,324 shares of company stock valued at $1,539,957 in the last ninety days. 18.86% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 28.9% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 53,683 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,391,000 after purchasing an additional 12,020 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in shares of Lifeway Foods by 451.4% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,576 shares of the company’s stock worth $274,000 after purchasing an additional 8,658 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can bought a new stake in Lifeway Foods during the fourth quarter valued at about $388,000. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Lifeway Foods by 1.8% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 115,971 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,006,000 after purchasing an additional 2,018 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Towerview LLC grew its position in shares of Lifeway Foods by 75.0% in the 4th quarter. Towerview LLC now owns 35,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $868,000 after buying an additional 15,000 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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.