Wall Street Zen Upgrades Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) to "Hold"

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen to a "hold" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

Lifeway Foods Stock Down 1.3%

NASDAQ LWAY traded down $0.33 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $24.43. The company's stock had a trading volume of 20,379 shares, compared to its average volume of 88,846. The company has a market capitalization of $371.41 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.02 and a beta of 0.75. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $23.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $23.26. Lifeway Foods has a 1 year low of $10.06 and a 1 year high of $27.29.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Jason Scott Scher sold 16,366 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction on Friday, June 27th. The stock was 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $24.24. The trade was a 99.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Pol Sikar sold 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the director directly owned 23,858 shares of the company's stock, valued at $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. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 106,075 shares of company stock worth $2,444,871. Company insiders own 18.86% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Lifeway Foods

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new stake in Lifeway Foods during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Byrne Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods during the second quarter worth $53,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its holdings in Lifeway Foods by 33.6% in the fourth 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 last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods during the first quarter worth about $78,000. Finally, Strs Ohio acquired a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods during the first quarter worth about $90,000. 36.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.