Boston Partners Reduces Position in Lifeway Foods, Inc. $LWAY

Boston Partners trimmed its stake in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) by 20.0% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 37,424 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,380 shares during the period. Boston Partners’ holdings in Lifeway Foods were worth $922,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of LWAY. Beryl Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Lifeway Foods by 33.3% during the first quarter. Beryl Capital Management LLC now owns 193,888 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,741,000 after purchasing an additional 48,439 shares during the period. Slotnik Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Lifeway Foods by 82.5% in the first quarter. Slotnik Capital LLC now owns 96,746 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,365,000 after buying an additional 43,746 shares during the period. Gabelli Funds LLC lifted its position in shares of Lifeway Foods by 297.4% during the 1st quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 64,656 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,581,000 after buying an additional 48,388 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lifted its position in shares of Lifeway Foods by 19.3% during the 1st quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 143,550 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,510,000 after buying an additional 23,200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG bought a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $78,000. 36.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Lifeway Foods news, major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 83,643 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.91, for a total transaction of $2,167,190.13. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 1,151,642 shares in the company, valued at $29,839,044.22. This trade represents a 6.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 10,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.44, for a total value of $264,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 832,823 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,019,840.12. The trade was a 1.19% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 115,000 shares of company stock worth $2,998,741 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 18.86% of the company’s stock.

Lifeway Foods Stock Performance

LWAY stock opened at $24.70 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $25.14 and its 200-day moving average price is $26.13. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a one year low of $19.50 and a one year high of $34.20. The company has a market capitalization of $376.16 million, a PE ratio of 35.80 and a beta of 0.41.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 12th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $57.14 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $55.00 million. Lifeway Foods had a net margin of 5.49% and a return on equity of 14.32%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on LWAY shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Lifeway Foods in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Lake Street Capital raised their price objective on shares of Lifeway Foods from $30.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Lifeway Foods from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 16th. Finally, Benchmark assumed coverage on Lifeway Foods in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $35.00 price target for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lifeway Foods has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $34.00.

Lifeway Foods Profile

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.