Insider Selling: Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) Major Shareholder Sells 20,000 Shares of Stock

Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 18th. The shares were 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 approximately $29,075,643.66. This represents a 1.57 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Large shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Lifeway Foods Trading Down 1.5 %

Shares of NASDAQ:LWAY traded down $0.34 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $22.61. The stock had a trading volume of 63,865 shares, compared to its average volume of 137,730. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a 1 year low of $10.06 and a 1 year high of $28.61. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $22.08 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $23.52. The company has a market capitalization of $334.99 million, a PE ratio of 26.29 and a beta of 1.00.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, March 14th. The company reported ($0.01) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by ($0.19). The business had revenue of $46.93 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $48.00 million. Lifeway Foods had a net margin of 7.23% and a return on equity of 19.97%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on Lifeway Foods in a report on Friday, March 14th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lifeway Foods

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its holdings in Lifeway Foods by 33.6% during the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,855 shares of the company’s stock worth $71,000 after buying an additional 718 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 71.2% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,778 shares of the company’s stock worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 1,155 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers grew its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 23.3% in the 4th quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 5,606 shares of the company’s stock worth $139,000 after acquiring an additional 1,059 shares during the period. Barclays PLC increased its stake in Lifeway Foods by 40.5% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 6,420 shares of the company’s stock valued at $167,000 after purchasing an additional 1,849 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sagefield Capital LP acquired a new position in Lifeway Foods during the fourth quarter worth $211,000. 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.