Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) Stock Passes Above 200 Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Shares of Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $18.23 and traded as high as $26.66. Lifeway Foods shares last traded at $26.40, with a volume of 67,569 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on LWAY shares. StockNews.com lowered Lifeway Foods from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, September 8th. Noble Financial lowered Lifeway Foods from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 24th.

Lifeway Foods Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $388.26 million, a P/E ratio of 30.70 and a beta of 1.04. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $22.25 and a two-hundred day moving average of $18.23.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 13th. The company reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.17 by $0.08. Lifeway Foods had a return on equity of 21.92% and a net margin of 7.69%. The business had revenue of $49.16 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $46.50 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.21 EPS. Research analysts predict that Lifeway Foods, Inc. will post 0.99 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lifeway Foods

In other Lifeway Foods news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 14,620 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.30, for a total transaction of $179,826.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,125,133 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,839,135.90. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, VP Amy M. Feldman sold 12,948 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.57, for a total value of $240,444.36. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 18,104 shares in the company, valued at $336,191.28. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 14,620 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.30, for a total value of $179,826.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 1,125,133 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,839,135.90. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 52,698 shares of company stock worth $887,612. Insiders own 31.77% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lifeway Foods

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. American Century Companies Inc. purchased a new position in Lifeway Foods during the second quarter valued at $593,000. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new stake in Lifeway Foods during the second quarter valued at about $539,000. Bank of Montreal Can bought a new stake in Lifeway Foods during the second quarter valued at about $432,000. Marshall Wace LLP raised its holdings in Lifeway Foods by 48.5% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 100,217 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,280,000 after acquiring an additional 32,742 shares during the period. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL raised its holdings in Lifeway Foods by 37.8% during the first quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 109,700 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,889,000 after acquiring an additional 30,100 shares during the period. 36.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.