Los Angeles Capital Management LLC Makes New $1.24 Million Investment in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY)

Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY - Free Report) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 47,711 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,237,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC owned 0.32% of Lifeway Foods at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Covestor Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods in the 3rd quarter valued at $50,000. Rhumbline Advisers raised its holdings in Lifeway Foods by 2,334.0% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 4,868 shares of the company's stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 4,668 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC acquired a new position in Lifeway Foods in the second quarter valued at about $82,000. Cutter & CO Brokerage Inc. acquired a new position in Lifeway Foods in the third quarter valued at about $212,000. Finally, Harbour Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Lifeway Foods during the third quarter worth about $398,000. 36.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lifeway Foods Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ LWAY traded up $1.40 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $23.79. The company had a trading volume of 235,354 shares, compared to its average volume of 145,068. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a 1-year low of $9.93 and a 1-year high of $28.61. The company has a market capitalization of $351.85 million, a PE ratio of 27.11 and a beta of 1.05. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $24.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $18.86.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 13th. The company reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.17 by $0.08. Lifeway Foods had a net margin of 7.69% and a return on equity of 21.92%. The firm had revenue of $49.16 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $46.50 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.21 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Lifeway Foods, Inc. will post 0.99 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Lifeway Foods

In other Lifeway Foods news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 15,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.19, for a total value of $272,850.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 1,110,133 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $20,193,319.27. The trade was a 1.33 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 18.86% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on LWAY. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Lifeway Foods in a research note on Thursday. They issued a "hold" rating for the company. Noble Financial lowered shares of Lifeway Foods from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th.

Lifeway Foods Company 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.