Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) Research Coverage Started at Lake Street Capital

Equities researchers at Lake Street Capital began coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm set a "buy" rating and a $25.00 price target on the stock. Lake Street Capital's price target indicates a potential upside of 22.73% from the stock's current price.

A number of other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Noble Financial restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Lifeway Foods in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. StockNews.com cut shares of Lifeway Foods from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 27th.

Lifeway Foods Trading Up 10.5 %

Lifeway Foods stock traded up $1.93 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $20.37. 220,529 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 73,978. Lifeway Foods has a fifty-two week low of $5.61 and a fifty-two week high of $20.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $299.24 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.80 and a beta of 1.33. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $13.17 and its 200 day simple moving average is $12.90. The company has a current ratio of 2.30, a quick ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 11,459 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.54, for a total value of $155,154.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 1,413,328 shares in the company, valued at $19,136,461.12. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 11,459 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.54, for a total transaction of $155,154.86. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 1,413,328 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,136,461.12. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Pol Sikar sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.19, for a total transaction of $171,900.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 23,707 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $407,523.33. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 135,159 shares of company stock worth $2,020,074 over the last 90 days. 31.77% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lifeway Foods

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Lifeway Foods by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 260,569 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,494,000 after buying an additional 2,211 shares during the period. Barclays PLC acquired a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods during the 4th quarter worth $194,000. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL grew its stake in shares of Lifeway Foods by 61.0% during the 4th quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 79,600 shares of the company's stock worth $1,067,000 after purchasing an additional 30,145 shares during the period. Citadel Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods during the 4th quarter worth $203,000. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in shares of Lifeway Foods by 32.5% during the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 7,421 shares of the company's stock worth $99,000 after purchasing an additional 1,821 shares during the period. 36.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.