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

Equities researchers at StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) in a research note issued to investors on Sunday. The firm set a “hold” rating on the stock.

Lifeway Foods Price Performance

NASDAQ:LWAY opened at $24.53 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $372.93 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.52 and a beta of 1.00. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $22.32 and its 200 day moving average price is $23.70. Lifeway Foods has a 1-year low of $10.06 and a 1-year high of $28.61.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) last issued its earnings results 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 return on equity of 19.97% and a net margin of 7.23%. The business had revenue of $46.93 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $48.00 million.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.23, for a total value of $464,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 1,251,642 shares in the company, valued at $29,075,643.66. This trade represents a 1.57 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 45,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction on Monday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.49, for a total value of $1,057,050.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 1,025,549 shares of the company’s stock, 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. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 142,034 shares of company stock valued at $3,261,817. Corporate insiders own 18.86% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lifeway Foods

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LWAY. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 71.2% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,778 shares of the company’s stock valued at $72,000 after purchasing an additional 1,155 shares in the last quarter. Harvest Management LLC purchased a new stake in Lifeway Foods in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $518,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in Lifeway Foods during the 3rd quarter valued at $679,000. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Lifeway Foods by 28.9% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 53,683 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,391,000 after buying an additional 12,020 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC increased its position in Lifeway Foods by 40.5% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 6,420 shares of the company’s stock worth $167,000 after buying an additional 1,849 shares in the last quarter. 36.39% of the stock is currently 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.