Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) Now Covered by StockNews.com

StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY - Free Report) in a research report report published on Tuesday morning. The firm issued a hold rating on the stock.

Lifeway Foods Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of LWAY stock traded down $0.17 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $23.72. 56,414 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 128,199. The company has a market capitalization of $360.62 million, a PE ratio of 27.58 and a beta of 0.93. Lifeway Foods has a 52 week low of $10.06 and a 52 week high of $28.61. The business has a 50 day moving average of $22.64 and a two-hundred day moving average of $23.75.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 Activity at Lifeway Foods

In related news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 8,376 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.62, for a total transaction of $197,841.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 932,447 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,024,398.14. This trade represents a 0.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of the company'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 sale, the insider now owns 1,251,642 shares in the company, valued at $29,075,643.66. This represents a 1.57 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 48,376 shares of company stock valued at $1,110,641. 18.86% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lifeway Foods

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 436,371 shares of the company's stock worth $10,822,000 after acquiring an additional 6,189 shares during the period. Beryl Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods in the fourth quarter valued at about $3,607,000. TIG Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods in the fourth quarter valued at about $3,512,000. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL raised its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 1,050 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Divisadero Street Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Lifeway Foods in the 4th quarter valued at $2,925,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 36.39% of the company's stock.

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.