StockNews.com Begins Coverage on Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY)

Stock analysts at StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) in a research report issued on Sunday. The brokerage set a "hold" rating on the stock.

Lifeway Foods Price Performance

LWAY stock traded up $0.16 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $24.84. 25,091 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 133,345. Lifeway Foods has a 1-year low of $10.06 and a 1-year high of $28.61. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $22.43 and its 200-day simple moving average is $23.77. The firm has a market cap of $377.64 million, a P/E ratio of 28.88 and a beta of 1.00.

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 analysts' consensus estimates of $0.18 by ($0.19). The business had revenue of $46.93 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $48.00 million. Lifeway Foods had a net margin of 7.23% and a return on equity of 19.97%.

Insider Activity

In other Lifeway Foods news, major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 in the company, valued at approximately $29,075,643.66. The trade was a 1.57 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 in the company, valued at approximately $369,579.33. This trade represents a 36.57 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 142,034 shares of company stock worth $3,261,817 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 18.86% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Lifeway Foods

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Beryl Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Lifeway Foods in the 4th quarter valued at $3,607,000. TIG Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods in the fourth quarter worth about $3,512,000. Divisadero Street Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Lifeway Foods during the fourth quarter worth about $2,925,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in Lifeway Foods by 712.8% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 85,959 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,132,000 after acquiring an additional 75,383 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Slotnik Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Lifeway Foods in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,314,000. 36.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.