Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) Earns Hold Rating from Analysts at StockNews.com

StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) in a research report report published on Sunday morning. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the stock.

Lifeway Foods Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:LWAY opened at $24.68 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $22.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $23.76. The company has a market cap of $375.21 million, a P/E ratio of 28.70 and a beta of 1.00. Lifeway Foods has a one year low of $10.06 and a one year high of $28.61.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, March 14th. The company reported ($0.01) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by ($0.19). Lifeway Foods had a net margin of 7.23% and a return on equity of 19.97%. The firm had revenue of $46.93 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $48.00 million.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of the 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 transaction, the insider now directly owns 1,251,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $29,075,643.66. This represents a 1.57 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 45,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.49, for a total transaction of $1,057,050.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,025,549 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $24,090,146.01. The trade was a 4.20 % 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. 18.86% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LWAY. Algert Global LLC increased its position in shares of Lifeway Foods by 8.1% in the 4th quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 9,076 shares of the company’s stock worth $225,000 after purchasing an additional 680 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC grew its stake in Lifeway Foods by 11.0% in the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 7,127 shares of the company’s stock worth $176,000 after purchasing an additional 707 shares in the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its holdings in Lifeway Foods by 33.6% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,855 shares of the company’s stock valued at $71,000 after buying an additional 718 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in Lifeway Foods by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 55,841 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,385,000 after buying an additional 868 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL raised its stake 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 valued at $2,985,000 after buying an additional 1,050 shares in the last quarter. 36.39% of the stock is currently owned by 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.