Lifeway Foods, Inc. $LWAY Shares Sold by Los Angeles Capital Management LLC

Los Angeles Capital Management LLC decreased its position in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) by 17.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 22,136 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,670 shares during the quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC owned 0.15% of Lifeway Foods worth $546,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 57,403 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,403,000 after purchasing an additional 1,562 shares in the last quarter. Towerview LLC raised its stake in Lifeway Foods by 107.1% in the first quarter. Towerview LLC now owns 72,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,773,000 after buying an additional 37,500 shares in the last quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ purchased a new stake in Lifeway Foods during the 1st quarter worth about $221,000. JBF Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in Lifeway Foods during the 1st quarter worth about $672,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods during the 1st quarter worth about $78,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 36.39% of the company’s stock.

Lifeway Foods Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of LWAY opened at $22.27 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $26.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $26.13. The firm has a market cap of $339.15 million, a PE ratio of 32.28 and a beta of 0.41. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a 12-month low of $19.50 and a 12-month high of $34.20.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 12th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $57.14 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $55.00 million. Lifeway Foods had a return on equity of 14.32% and a net margin of 5.49%.

Insider Transactions at Lifeway Foods

In related news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.44, for a total transaction of $264,400.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 832,823 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,019,840.12. This trade represents a 1.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 83,643 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.91, for a total value of $2,167,190.13. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 1,151,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $29,839,044.22. This represents a 6.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 115,000 shares of company stock worth $2,998,741. Corporate insiders own 18.86% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Benchmark started coverage on Lifeway Foods in a research note on Thursday. They set a “buy” rating and a $35.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Lifeway Foods from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 16th. Lake Street Capital increased their target price on shares of Lifeway Foods from $30.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Lifeway Foods in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Two equities 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 stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $34.00.

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.