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

Research analysts at StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday. The firm set a “hold” rating on the stock.

Separately, Noble Financial downgraded Lifeway Foods from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 24th.

Lifeway Foods Stock Up 5.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ:LWAY opened at $23.56 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $348.45 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.18 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a 50 day moving average of $24.82 and a two-hundred day moving average of $18.89. Lifeway Foods has a 52-week low of $9.93 and a 52-week high of $28.61.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 13th. The company reported $0.25 earnings per share 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 analyst estimates of $46.50 million. Lifeway Foods had a net margin of 7.69% and a return on equity of 21.92%. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.21 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Lifeway Foods will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Lifeway Foods

In other Lifeway Foods news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 15,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.19, for a total transaction of $272,850.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 1,110,133 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,193,319.27. The trade was a 1.33 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 18.86% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in shares of Lifeway Foods by 40.5% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 6,420 shares of the company’s stock valued at $167,000 after buying an additional 1,849 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its position in Lifeway Foods by 28.9% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 53,683 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,391,000 after purchasing an additional 12,020 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new position in Lifeway Foods in the third quarter valued at about $679,000. Harvest Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods during the 3rd quarter worth about $518,000. Finally, De Lisle Partners LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 30.7% during the 3rd quarter. De Lisle Partners LLP now owns 59,782 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,552,000 after buying an additional 14,051 shares during the last quarter. 36.39% of the stock is 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.