Ludmila Smolyansky Sells 2,193 Shares of Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) Stock

Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 2,193 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction on Monday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.50, for a total value of $44,956.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,300,341 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $26,656,990.50. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Major shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

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

• On Wednesday, April 17th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 10,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.04, for a total value of $200,400.00.
• On Friday, April 5th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 5,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.56, for a total value of $97,800.00.
• On Monday, April 8th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 5,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.40, for a total value of $102,000.00.
• On Tuesday, March 26th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 13,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.71, for a total value of $243,230.00.
• On Friday, March 22nd, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 3,852 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.80, for a total value of $60,861.60.
• On Wednesday, March 20th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 13,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.87, for a total value of $167,310.00.
• On Monday, February 26th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 13,542 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.34, for a total value of $167,108.28.
• On Thursday, February 8th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 22,747 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.61, for a total value of $264,092.67.
• On Tuesday, February 6th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 10,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.84, for a total value of $118,400.00.
• On Wednesday, January 24th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 5,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.44, for a total value of $67,200.00.

Lifeway Foods Stock Performance

Shares of Lifeway Foods stock opened at $19.40 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $284.99 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.53 and a beta of 1.33. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $14.66 and its 200-day moving average is $13.47. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a one year low of $5.61 and a one year high of $23.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 2.30 and a quick ratio of 1.75.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 20th. The company reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.21 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $42.09 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $40.00 million. Lifeway Foods had a return on equity of 20.92% and a net margin of 7.10%. Equities analysts predict that Lifeway Foods, Inc. will post 1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on LWAY shares. Noble Financial reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Lifeway Foods in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. StockNews.com lowered Lifeway Foods from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 6th. Finally, Lake Street Capital assumed coverage on Lifeway Foods in a report on Friday, April 5th. They set a “buy” rating and a $25.00 target price on the stock.

Institutional Trading of Lifeway Foods

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Citigroup Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods in the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its position in shares of Lifeway Foods by 656.8% in the fourth quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,010 shares of the company’s stock valued at $67,000 after acquiring an additional 4,348 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in shares of Lifeway Foods by 32.5% in the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 7,421 shares of the company’s stock valued at $99,000 after acquiring an additional 1,821 shares during the last quarter. Denali Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods in the third quarter valued at about $91,000. Finally, Teton Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods in the third quarter valued at about $114,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.