Gabelli Funds LLC Makes New $403,000 Investment in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY)

Gabelli Funds LLC purchased a new stake in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 16,268 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $403,000. Gabelli Funds LLC owned 0.11% of Lifeway Foods as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Lifeway Foods by 28.9% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 53,683 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,391,000 after acquiring an additional 12,020 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can bought a new stake in Lifeway Foods in the 4th quarter valued at $388,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in Lifeway Foods by 451.4% in 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. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 115,971 shares of the company's stock worth $3,006,000 after purchasing an additional 2,018 shares during the period. Finally, Towerview LLC raised its position in shares of Lifeway Foods by 75.0% during the fourth quarter. Towerview LLC now owns 35,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $868,000 after buying an additional 15,000 shares during the last quarter. 36.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.23, for a total transaction of $464,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,251,642 shares of the company's stock, valued at $29,075,643.66. This trade represents a 1.57 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 10,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 11th. The shares were 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 approximately $369,579.33. The trade was a 36.57 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 66,324 shares of company stock worth $1,539,957 over the last three months. 18.86% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Lifeway Foods Stock Down 1.1 %

LWAY traded down $0.26 during trading on Friday, reaching $23.23. 26,747 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 51,371. The company has a market capitalization of $353.17 million, a P/E ratio of 27.01 and a beta of 0.93. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $22.78 and a 200 day moving average price of $23.65. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $10.06 and a fifty-two week high of $28.61.

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

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.