JBF Capital Inc. Invests $672,000 in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY)

Key Points

• JBF Capital Inc. has acquired a new stake in Lifeway Foods, Inc. worth approximately $672,000, purchasing 27,500 shares, which represents about 0.18% of the company.
• Other institutional investors have also increased their holdings in Lifeway Foods, with 36.39% of the stock now owned by such entities.
• Lifeway Foods shares saw a trading increase of $1.66, reaching $26.88, with a market cap of approximately $408.66 million and a recent earnings report indicating a net margin of 5.39%.

JBF Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 27,500 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $672,000. JBF Capital Inc. owned about 0.18% of Lifeway Foods at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 8.2% in the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 6,068 shares of the company's stock valued at $148,000 after buying an additional 462 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can acquired a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $388,000. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ acquired a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $221,000. Beryl Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Lifeway Foods in the 4th quarter valued at $3,607,000. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its stake in Lifeway Foods by 33.6% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,855 shares of the company's stock valued at $71,000 after acquiring an additional 718 shares during the period. 36.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded Lifeway Foods to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 12th.

Lifeway Foods Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ LWAY traded up $1.66 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $26.88. The company had a trading volume of 236,007 shares, compared to its average volume of 34,166. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a one year low of $10.06 and a one year high of $27.36. The firm has a market cap of $408.66 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.73 and a beta of 0.75. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $24.69 and its 200 day simple moving average is $23.46.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 13th. The company reported $0.23 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.19 by $0.04. Lifeway Foods had a return on equity of 14.20% and a net margin of 5.39%. The firm had revenue of $46.09 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $48.50 million.

Insider Transactions at Lifeway Foods

In other news, Director Jason Scott Scher sold 16,366 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, June 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.24, for a total transaction of $396,711.84. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 1 shares in the company, valued at $24.24. This represents a 99.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Pol Sikar sold 3,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.35, for a total value of $67,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 23,858 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $533,226.30. The trade was a 11.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 78,566 shares of company stock worth $1,788,672 over the last three months. 18.86% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Lifeway Foods 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.