Edward Smolyansky Sells 25,000 Shares of Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) Stock

Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.34, for a total transaction of $633,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 1,076,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,282,108.28. This trade represents a 2.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Major shareholders that own 10% or more of a company’s shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

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

• On Friday, May 15th, Edward Smolyansky sold 24,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.87, for a total transaction of $596,880.00.
• On Thursday, March 19th, Edward Smolyansky sold 14,353 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.77, for a total transaction of $255,052.81.
• On Tuesday, March 17th, Edward Smolyansky sold 22,313 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.10, for a total transaction of $448,491.30.
• On Monday, March 16th, Edward Smolyansky sold 13,334 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.60, for a total transaction of $274,680.40.

Lifeway Foods Stock Performance

Shares of LWAY opened at $25.20 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $23.22 and its 200-day moving average is $22.96. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a 12 month low of $17.31 and a 12 month high of $34.20. The firm has a market cap of $385.06 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.98 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 2.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.30. Lifeway Foods had a net margin of 6.54% and a return on equity of 17.76%. The business had revenue of $63.01 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.80 million.

Trending Headlines about Lifeway Foods

Here are the key news stories impacting Lifeway Foods this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Major shareholder Divisadero Street Capital made notable purchases of Lifeway Foods shares, including 33,174 shares at $25.27 and a larger 131,871-share buy at $25.50. Insider buying can be viewed as a vote of confidence in the company’s outlook. Insider trading reference
• Neutral Sentiment: Lifeway Foods reported solid first-quarter results last week, meeting EPS expectations at $0.30 and topping revenue estimates with $63.01 million in sales. That keeps the fundamental backdrop constructive for the stock. LWAY stock overview
• Negative Sentiment: Major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 24,000 shares at $24.87 and 25,000 shares at $25.34, while Ludmila Smolyansky also sold 20,000 shares at $24.64. Multiple insider sales may pressure sentiment because they can suggest some shareholders are taking profits. Article on Edward Smolyansky sales

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on LWAY shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Lifeway Foods from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 21st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Lifeway Foods from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $34.33.

Institutional Trading of Lifeway Foods

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Divisadero Street Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Lifeway Foods in the 3rd quarter worth $17,494,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in Lifeway Foods by 8.8% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 235,710 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,558,000 after purchasing an additional 19,035 shares during the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL grew its position in Lifeway Foods by 33.5% in the 1st quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 214,650 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,151,000 after purchasing an additional 53,900 shares during the last quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL grew its position 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 worth $3,958,000 after purchasing an additional 68,956 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Slotnik Capital LLC grew its position in Lifeway Foods by 9.2% in the 3rd quarter. Slotnik Capital LLC now owns 141,761 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,935,000 after purchasing an additional 11,921 shares during the last quarter. 36.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lifeway Foods Company Profile

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.