Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) Coverage Initiated at StockNews.com

StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY - Free Report) in a report issued on Thursday. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the stock.

Lifeway Foods Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of NASDAQ:LWAY traded down $0.13 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $23.23. The stock had a trading volume of 15,880 shares, compared to its average volume of 118,841. The company's 50-day moving average price is $23.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $23.46. Lifeway Foods has a fifty-two week low of $10.06 and a fifty-two week high of $28.61. The company has a market capitalization of $353.09 million, a P/E ratio of 27.01 and a beta of 0.75.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, March 14th. The company reported ($0.01) earnings per share (EPS) 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $48.00 million.

Insider Activity at Lifeway Foods

In other news, major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of the company'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 directly owns 1,251,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $29,075,643.66. This represents a 1.57 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.51, for a total value of $235,100.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 955,823 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,471,398.73. This trade represents a 1.04 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 75,885 shares of company stock valued at $1,766,840. 18.86% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LWAY. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 8.2% during the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 6,068 shares of the company's stock worth $148,000 after purchasing an additional 462 shares during the period. Algert Global LLC lifted its holdings in Lifeway Foods by 8.1% during the 4th quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 9,076 shares of the company's stock worth $225,000 after buying an additional 680 shares during the period. Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in Lifeway Foods by 11.0% during the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 7,127 shares of the company's stock worth $176,000 after buying an additional 707 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its position in shares of Lifeway Foods by 33.6% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,855 shares of the company's stock valued at $71,000 after buying an additional 718 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in shares of Lifeway Foods by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 55,841 shares of the company's stock worth $1,385,000 after acquiring an additional 868 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 36.39% of the company's stock.

About Lifeway Foods

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.