Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) Shares Acquired by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY - Free Report) by 712.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 85,959 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 75,383 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned approximately 0.58% of Lifeway Foods worth $2,132,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LWAY. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Lifeway Foods by 1.8% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 115,971 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,006,000 after purchasing an additional 2,018 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 27.7% in the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 69,302 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,719,000 after purchasing an additional 15,046 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 55,841 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,385,000 after purchasing an additional 868 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Lifeway Foods by 28.9% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 53,683 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,391,000 after acquiring an additional 12,020 shares during the period. Finally, Towerview LLC raised its position in Lifeway Foods by 75.0% in the fourth quarter. Towerview LLC now owns 35,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $868,000 after purchasing an additional 15,000 shares during the period. 36.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com began coverage on Lifeway Foods in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. They issued a "hold" rating for the company.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lifeway Foods

In other news, major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.23, for a total transaction of $464,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 1,251,642 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $29,075,643.66. The trade was a 1.57 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 17,948 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.92, for a total transaction of $429,316.16. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 905,823 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,667,286.16. This trade represents a 1.94 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 66,324 shares of company stock worth $1,539,957 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 18.86% of the company's stock.

Lifeway Foods Price Performance

LWAY traded up $0.54 on Tuesday, reaching $23.75. The company's stock had a trading volume of 33,519 shares, compared to its average volume of 122,514. The business's 50 day moving average is $22.83 and its 200 day moving average is $23.57. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a 1 year low of $10.06 and a 1 year high of $28.61. The stock has a market cap of $361.07 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.62 and a beta of 0.93.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, March 14th. The company reported ($0.01) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.18 by ($0.19). Lifeway Foods had a net margin of 7.23% and a return on equity of 19.97%. The business had revenue of $46.93 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $48.00 million.

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.