Edward Smolyansky Sells 24,000 Shares of Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) Stock

Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 24,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.87, for a total value of $596,880.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 1,052,642 shares in the company, valued at $26,179,206.54. This represents a 2.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Large shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Edward Smolyansky also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, May 14th, Edward Smolyansky sold 25,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.34, for a total value of $633,500.00.
• On Thursday, March 19th, Edward Smolyansky sold 14,353 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.77, for a total value of $255,052.81.
• On Tuesday, March 17th, Edward Smolyansky sold 22,313 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.10, for a total value of $448,491.30.
• On Monday, March 16th, Edward Smolyansky sold 13,334 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.60, for a total value of $274,680.40.

Lifeway Foods Trading Up 5.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:LWAY opened at $25.20 on Wednesday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $23.22 and its 200 day moving average is $22.96. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a 1 year low of $17.31 and a 1 year high of $34.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $385.06 million, a P/E ratio of 25.98 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 2.14 and a quick ratio of 1.56.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.30. Lifeway Foods had a return on equity of 17.76% and a net margin of 6.54%.The company had revenue of $63.01 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.80 million.

Institutional Trading of Lifeway Foods

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LWAY. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods in the third quarter worth about $31,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in shares of Lifeway Foods by 577.3% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,551 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 1,322 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods in the second quarter worth about $40,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund boosted its stake in shares of Lifeway Foods by 433.3% in the third quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 1,600 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 1,300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue boosted its stake in shares of Lifeway Foods by 302.0% in the fourth quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 2,967 shares of the company’s stock worth $71,000 after buying an additional 2,229 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 36.39% of the company’s stock.

Lifeway Foods News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Lifeway Foods this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Major shareholder Divisadero Street Capital made notable purchases of Lifeway Foods shares, including 33,174 shares at $25.27 and a larger 131,871-share buy at $25.50. Insider buying can be viewed as a vote of confidence in the company’s outlook. Insider trading reference
• Neutral Sentiment: Lifeway Foods reported solid first-quarter results last week, meeting EPS expectations at $0.30 and topping revenue estimates with $63.01 million in sales. That keeps the fundamental backdrop constructive for the stock. LWAY stock overview
• Negative Sentiment: Major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 24,000 shares at $24.87 and 25,000 shares at $25.34, while Ludmila Smolyansky also sold 20,000 shares at $24.64. Multiple insider sales may pressure sentiment because they can suggest some shareholders are taking profits. Article on Edward Smolyansky sales

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LWAY has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen lowered Lifeway Foods from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 21st. Weiss Ratings raised Lifeway Foods from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $34.33.

About Lifeway Foods

Lifeway Foods, Inc (NASDAQ: LWAY) is a Chicago-based food company specializing in probiotic-rich cultured dairy products. Established in 1986 by Michael Smolyansky, the company pioneered the introduction of kefir to the U.S. market. Under the leadership of CEO Julie Smolyansky, who succeeded her father in 2002, Lifeway has grown from a single product operation into a diversified portfolio of fermented foods and beverages aimed at promoting digestive health and wellness.

The company’s flagship product is kefir, a cultured milk beverage naturally rich in probiotics, vitamins and minerals.