Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) Major Shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky Sells 5,000 Shares

Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.78, for a total transaction of $133,900.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 1,229,753 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $32,932,785.34. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Major shareholders that own at least 10% 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, April 25th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 3,620 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.56, for a total transaction of $78,047.20.
• 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 transaction of $446,609.44.
• On Wednesday, April 17th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 10,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was 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 stock was sold at an average price of $19.56, for a total transaction of $97,800.00.
• On Monday, April 8th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 5,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.40, for a total transaction 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 transaction of $243,230.00.
• On Friday, March 22nd, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 3,852 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.80, for a total transaction 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 stock was sold at an average price of $12.34, for a total transaction of $167,108.28.

Lifeway Foods Trading Down 0.6 %

LWAY traded down $0.15 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $25.60. 161,381 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 107,216. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $17.49 and its 200-day moving average price is $14.49. 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, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $5.75 and a fifty-two week high of $27.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $376.09 million, a PE ratio of 33.68 and a beta of 1.31.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Noble Financial reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Lifeway Foods in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Lifeway Foods from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 6th. Finally, Lake Street Capital began coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods in a report on Friday, April 5th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $25.00 price target for the company.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lifeway Foods

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its position in shares of Lifeway Foods by 656.8% during the fourth quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,010 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,000 after purchasing an additional 4,348 shares in the last quarter. Teton Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods during the third quarter worth $114,000. Bailard Inc. bought a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods during the fourth quarter worth $187,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods during the third quarter worth $143,000. Finally, Denali Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Lifeway Foods by 62.5% during the fourth quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 14,300 shares of the company’s stock worth $192,000 after purchasing an additional 5,500 shares in the last quarter. 36.39% of the stock is 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.