53,000 Shares in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) Purchased by Slotnik Capital LLC

Slotnik Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 53,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,314,000. Lifeway Foods makes up approximately 0.6% of Slotnik Capital LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Slotnik Capital LLC owned about 0.36% of Lifeway Foods at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of LWAY. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in Lifeway Foods by 71.2% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,778 shares of the company's stock valued at $72,000 after purchasing an additional 1,155 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers raised its position in Lifeway Foods by 23.3% during the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 5,606 shares of the company's stock worth $139,000 after acquiring an additional 1,059 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its stake in Lifeway Foods by 40.5% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 6,420 shares of the company's stock valued at $167,000 after acquiring an additional 1,849 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in Lifeway Foods by 451.4% during the third 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 period. Finally, Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in Lifeway Foods during the third quarter worth approximately $679,000. 36.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lifeway Foods Price Performance

NASDAQ:LWAY traded down $0.13 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $23.72. 4,641 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 132,186. The business has a 50 day moving average of $22.48 and a 200 day moving average of $23.82. The company has a market capitalization of $360.54 million, a P/E ratio of 27.70 and a beta of 0.93. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a 1-year low of $10.06 and a 1-year high of $28.61.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, March 14th. The company reported ($0.01) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.18 by ($0.19). Lifeway Foods had a return on equity of 19.97% and a net margin of 7.23%. The business had revenue of $46.93 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $48.00 million.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 18th. The shares were 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 $29,075,643.66. The trade was a 1.57 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.67, for a total value of $226,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 985,549 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $22,342,395.83. The trade was a 1.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 82,034 shares of company stock worth $1,842,967 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 18.86% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods in a research report on Monday. They issued a "hold" rating on the 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.