Insider Selling: Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) Major Shareholder Sells 20,000 Shares of Stock

Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.23, for a total transaction of $464,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 1,251,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $29,075,643.66. The trade was a 1.57 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Large shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s shares are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Lifeway Foods Price Performance

LWAY traded down $0.34 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $22.61. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 63,865 shares, compared to its average volume of 137,730. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a twelve month low of $10.06 and a twelve month high of $28.61. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $22.08 and its 200-day moving average price is $23.52. The stock has a market cap of $334.99 million, a PE ratio of 26.29 and a beta of 1.00.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) last released its earnings results on Friday, March 14th. The company reported ($0.01) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.18 by ($0.19). The business had revenue of $46.93 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $48.00 million. Lifeway Foods had a return on equity of 19.97% and a net margin of 7.23%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Lifeway Foods in a research report on Friday, March 14th. They set a “hold” rating for the company.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lifeway Foods

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LWAY. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its position in Lifeway Foods by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 436,371 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,822,000 after purchasing an additional 6,189 shares during the last quarter. Beryl Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods in the 4th quarter valued at $3,607,000. TIG Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods during the 4th quarter valued at $3,512,000. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL increased its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 120,350 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,985,000 after buying an additional 1,050 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Divisadero Street Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods in the 4th quarter worth $2,925,000. 36.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.