Marshall Wace LLP Increases Stake in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY)

Marshall Wace LLP grew its stake in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY - Free Report) by 48.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 100,217 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 32,742 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP owned 0.68% of Lifeway Foods worth $1,280,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rhumbline Advisers raised its position in Lifeway Foods by 2,334.0% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 4,868 shares of the company's stock valued at $62,000 after purchasing an additional 4,668 shares during the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new position in Lifeway Foods during the 2nd quarter worth $82,000. Bailard Inc. purchased a new position in Lifeway Foods during the 2nd quarter worth $253,000. Panagora Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Lifeway Foods during the 2nd quarter worth $267,000. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can purchased a new position in Lifeway Foods during the 2nd quarter worth $432,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 36.39% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Lifeway Foods

In related news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 4,584 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.55, for a total value of $89,617.20. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,085,549 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,222,482.95. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 4,584 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.55, for a total value of $89,617.20. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,085,549 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,222,482.95. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Eric A. Hanson sold 5,546 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.91, for a total transaction of $104,874.86. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 25,546 shares in the company, valued at approximately $483,074.86. The trade was 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 valued at $887,612. Insiders own 31.77% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Lifeway Foods Trading Down 0.3 %

Shares of LWAY traded down $0.09 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $26.40. The company had a trading volume of 78,826 shares, compared to its average volume of 153,085. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $19.53 and a 200-day simple moving average of $17.70. The company has a market capitalization of $388.26 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.70 and a beta of 1.04. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a 12-month low of $9.06 and a 12-month high of $28.61.

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

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.