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

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

Lifeway Foods Trading Up 0.3 %

LWAY traded up $0.08 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $24.53. The company's stock had a trading volume of 14,398 shares, compared to its average volume of 133,716. The stock has a market cap of $372.93 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.52 and a beta of 1.00. The business's 50-day moving average price is $22.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $23.74. Lifeway Foods has a 12 month low of $10.06 and a 12 month high of $28.61.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) last announced 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). 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.

Insider Activity at Lifeway Foods

In other news, major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.23, for a total transaction of $464,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 1,251,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $29,075,643.66. This trade represents a 1.57 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 45,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.49, for a total value of $1,057,050.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,025,549 shares in the company, valued at $24,090,146.01. This trade represents a 4.20 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 142,034 shares of company stock worth $3,261,817 in the last quarter. 18.86% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lifeway Foods

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its stake in Lifeway Foods by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 436,371 shares of the company's stock worth $10,822,000 after buying an additional 6,189 shares during the last quarter. Beryl Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods in the 4th quarter valued at about $3,607,000. TIG Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Lifeway Foods in the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,512,000. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL boosted its position in Lifeway Foods by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 120,350 shares of the company's stock worth $2,985,000 after purchasing an additional 1,050 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Divisadero Street Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods in the fourth quarter valued at about $2,925,000. 36.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.