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

Equities research analysts at StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) in a report issued on Friday. The brokerage set a “hold” rating on the stock.

Separately, Noble Financial downgraded shares of Lifeway Foods from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 24th.

Lifeway Foods Price Performance

Shares of LWAY opened at $24.26 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $25.20 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $18.97. The stock has a market cap of $359.53 million, a PE ratio of 28.21 and a beta of 1.05. Lifeway Foods has a 1-year low of $9.93 and a 1-year high of $28.61.

Insider Activity at Lifeway Foods

In other Lifeway Foods news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.19, for a total transaction of $272,850.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,110,133 shares in the company, valued at $20,193,319.27. This represents a 1.33 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 18.86% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lifeway Foods

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of LWAY. Covestor Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods in the 3rd quarter valued at $50,000. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its position in Lifeway Foods by 2,334.0% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 4,868 shares of the company’s stock valued at $62,000 after acquiring an additional 4,668 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in Lifeway Foods by 71.2% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,778 shares of the company’s stock valued at $72,000 after acquiring an additional 1,155 shares in the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods during the second quarter worth about $82,000. Finally, Barclays PLC increased its position in shares of Lifeway Foods by 40.5% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 6,420 shares of the company’s stock worth $167,000 after purchasing an additional 1,849 shares in the last quarter. 36.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.