Cigogne Management SA Buys New Shares in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY)

Cigogne Management SA acquired a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 19,906 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $494,000. Cigogne Management SA owned 0.13% of Lifeway Foods as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its position in shares of Lifeway Foods by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 436,371 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,822,000 after acquiring an additional 6,189 shares during the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL raised its stake in Lifeway Foods by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 120,350 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,985,000 after purchasing an additional 1,050 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Lifeway Foods by 1.8% during 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in Lifeway Foods by 712.8% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 85,959 shares of the company's stock worth $2,132,000 after buying an additional 75,383 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 27.7% in the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 69,302 shares of the company's stock worth $1,719,000 after buying an additional 15,046 shares during the last quarter. 36.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com began coverage on Lifeway Foods in a research report on Wednesday. They set a "hold" rating on the stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 1,251,642 shares in the company, valued at $29,075,643.66. The trade was a 1.57 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.31, for a total value of $213,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 17,343 shares of the company's stock, valued at $369,579.33. This represents a 36.57 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 66,324 shares of company stock valued at $1,539,957 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 18.86% of the company's stock.

Lifeway Foods Price Performance

NASDAQ:LWAY traded down $0.29 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $23.20. 32,990 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 125,365. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $22.78 and a 200-day moving average price of $23.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $352.71 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.98 and a beta of 0.93. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a 12-month low of $10.06 and a 12-month high of $28.61.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, March 14th. The company reported ($0.01) EPS 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 company had revenue of $46.93 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $48.00 million.

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.