Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) Major Shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky Sells 40,000 Shares

Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 40,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.12, for a total transaction of $1,204,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 652,823 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,663,028.76. This trade represents a 5.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Large shareholders that own 10% or more of a company’s shares are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

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

• On Thursday, June 25th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 45,616 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.65, for a total transaction of $1,352,514.40.
• On Friday, May 15th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.64, for a total value of $492,800.00.
• On Monday, April 20th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 15,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.50, for a total value of $397,500.00.

Lifeway Foods Trading Down 3.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:LWAY traded down $0.91 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $29.42. The company had a trading volume of 482,721 shares, compared to its average volume of 95,436. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $25.48 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $23.23. The firm has a market cap of $449.54 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.33 and a beta of 0.48. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a 1-year low of $17.31 and a 1-year high of $34.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 2.14.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.30. Lifeway Foods had a return on equity of 17.76% and a net margin of 6.54%.The firm had revenue of $63.01 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $60.80 million.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings raised Lifeway Foods from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Lifeway Foods in a research note on Monday, June 15th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Lifeway Foods from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $34.33.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lifeway Foods

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Divisadero Street Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods during the 3rd quarter worth about $17,494,000. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new position in Lifeway Foods during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,984,000. Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 260.4% during the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 101,311 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,812,000 after buying an additional 73,203 shares during the period. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL grew its stake in Lifeway Foods by 73.0% in the 4th quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 163,361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,958,000 after buying an additional 68,956 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lifted its position in Lifeway Foods by 33.5% during the 1st quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 214,650 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,151,000 after acquiring an additional 53,900 shares during the last quarter. 36.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Lifeway Foods

Lifeway Foods, Inc (NASDAQ: LWAY) is a Chicago-based food company specializing in probiotic-rich cultured dairy products. Established in 1986 by Michael Smolyansky, the company pioneered the introduction of kefir to the U.S. market. Under the leadership of CEO Julie Smolyansky, who succeeded her father in 2002, Lifeway has grown from a single product operation into a diversified portfolio of fermented foods and beverages aimed at promoting digestive health and wellness.

The company’s flagship product is kefir, a cultured milk beverage naturally rich in probiotics, vitamins and minerals.