JBF Capital Inc. Takes $672,000 Position 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. acquired a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 27,500 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $672,000. JBF Capital Inc. owned approximately 0.18% of Lifeway Foods at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LWAY. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in Lifeway Foods by 27.7% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 69,302 shares of the company's stock worth $1,719,000 after acquiring an additional 15,046 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in Lifeway Foods by 712.8% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 85,959 shares of the company's stock worth $2,132,000 after acquiring an additional 75,383 shares during the last quarter. Slotnik Capital LLC acquired a new position in Lifeway Foods during the fourth quarter worth about $1,314,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its position 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 acquiring an additional 718 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can acquired a new position in Lifeway Foods during the fourth quarter worth about $388,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 36.39% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Lifeway Foods

In related news, Director Jason Scott Scher sold 16,366 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.24, for a total value of $396,711.84. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 1 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24.24. The trade was a 99.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Julie Smolyansky sold 50,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.07, for a total transaction of $1,103,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 2,132,483 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $47,063,899.81. The trade was a 2.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 78,566 shares of company stock worth $1,788,672. 18.86% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Lifeway Foods to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, July 12th.

Lifeway Foods Stock Up 4.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:LWAY traded up $1.13 during trading on Monday, reaching $28.01. The stock had a trading volume of 54,938 shares, compared to its average volume of 49,748. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $24.69 and a 200-day moving average price of $23.47. The stock has a market cap of $425.68 million, a P/E ratio of 42.43 and a beta of 0.69. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $10.06 and a fifty-two week high of $28.49.

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

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.