Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) Major Shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky Sells 3,620 Shares of Stock

Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 3,620 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.56, for a total value of $78,047.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 1,254,753 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,052,474.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Major shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Ludmila Smolyansky also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, April 23rd, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 21,968 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.33, for a total value of $446,609.44.
• On Wednesday, April 17th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 10,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.04, for a total transaction of $200,400.00.
• On Monday, April 15th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 2,193 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.50, for a total transaction of $44,956.50.
• On Friday, April 5th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 5,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.56, for a total value of $97,800.00.
• On Monday, April 8th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 5,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.40, for a total value of $102,000.00.
• On Tuesday, March 26th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 13,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.71, for a total value of $243,230.00.
• On Friday, March 22nd, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 3,852 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.80, for a total value of $60,861.60.
• On Wednesday, March 20th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 13,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.87, for a total transaction of $167,310.00.
• On Monday, February 26th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 13,542 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.34, for a total transaction of $167,108.28.
• On Thursday, February 8th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 22,747 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.61, for a total transaction of $264,092.67.

Lifeway Foods Trading Up 0.3 %

Shares of NASDAQ LWAY traded up $0.06 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $21.49. 80,202 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 88,510. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a 12-month low of $5.61 and a 12-month high of $23.31. The firm has a market cap of $315.69 million, a P/E ratio of 28.28 and a beta of 1.33. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $15.58 and a 200 day moving average price of $13.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 1.75 and a current ratio of 2.30.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 20th. The company reported $0.26 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.21 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $42.09 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $40.00 million. Lifeway Foods had a return on equity of 20.92% and a net margin of 7.10%. As a group, analysts expect that Lifeway Foods, Inc. will post 1 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on LWAY. Noble Financial reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Lifeway Foods in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. StockNews.com cut Lifeway Foods from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 6th. Finally, Lake Street Capital started coverage on Lifeway Foods in a report on Friday, April 5th. They set a “buy” rating and a $25.00 target price for the company.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lifeway Foods

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its stake in shares of Lifeway Foods by 656.8% in the 4th quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,010 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,000 after acquiring an additional 4,348 shares in the last quarter. Denali Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods during the third quarter valued at approximately $91,000. Teton Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods during the third quarter valued at approximately $114,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods during the third quarter valued at approximately $143,000. Finally, Bailard Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods in the 4th quarter worth approximately $187,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 36.39% of the company’s stock.

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.