Marshall Wace LLP Cuts Stake in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY)

Marshall Wace LLP lessened its position in shares of Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY - Free Report) by 37.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 105,589 shares of the company's stock after selling 62,336 shares during the quarter. Marshall Wace LLP owned approximately 0.71% of Lifeway Foods worth $2,619,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LWAY. Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its position in shares of Lifeway Foods by 33.6% during 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. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its position in Lifeway Foods by 23.3% during the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 5,606 shares of the company's stock worth $139,000 after purchasing an additional 1,059 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC grew its holdings in Lifeway Foods by 40.5% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 6,420 shares of the company's stock valued at $167,000 after purchasing an additional 1,849 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of Lifeway Foods by 451.4% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,576 shares of the company's stock valued at $274,000 after buying an additional 8,658 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can acquired a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods during the 4th quarter worth approximately $388,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 36.39% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lifeway Foods

In other news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 17,948 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.92, for a total value of $429,316.16. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 905,823 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,667,286.16. This represents a 1.94 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the insider now owns 1,251,642 shares of the company's stock, valued at $29,075,643.66. This trade represents a 1.57 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 75,885 shares of company stock valued at $1,766,840 over the last 90 days. 18.86% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods in a research report on Thursday. They set a "hold" rating for the company.

Lifeway Foods Trading Up 1.1 %

NASDAQ LWAY traded up $0.26 on Friday, reaching $23.97. 3,130 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 121,363. The business's fifty day moving average price is $22.91 and its 200 day moving average price is $23.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $364.34 million, a P/E ratio of 27.86 and a beta of 0.93. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $10.06 and a fifty-two week high of $28.61.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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 firm had revenue of $46.93 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $48.00 million.

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.