Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) Major Shareholder Edward Smolyansky Sells 20,000 Shares

Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.23, for a total value of $464,600.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,251,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $29,075,643.66. The trade was a 1.57 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Major shareholders that own more than 10% of a company’s stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Lifeway Foods Stock Up 0.7 %

NASDAQ:LWAY opened at $23.85 on Friday. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a 52 week low of $10.06 and a 52 week high of $28.61. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $22.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $23.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $353.36 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.73 and a beta of 1.00.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) last posted its earnings results on Friday, March 14th. The company reported ($0.01) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.18 by ($0.19). The firm had revenue of $46.93 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $48.00 million. Lifeway Foods had a return on equity of 19.97% and a net margin of 7.23%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods in a research note on Saturday. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Beryl Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Lifeway Foods in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $3,607,000. TIG Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods during the fourth quarter worth $3,512,000. Divisadero Street Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods in the fourth quarter valued at $2,925,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in Lifeway Foods by 712.8% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 85,959 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,132,000 after purchasing an additional 75,383 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Slotnik Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Lifeway Foods during the 4th quarter worth about $1,314,000. 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.