Aviva PLC Sells 6,288 Shares of Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY)

Aviva PLC trimmed its holdings in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) by 20.0% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 25,080 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,288 shares during the quarter. Aviva PLC’s holdings in Lifeway Foods were worth $622,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 33.6% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,855 shares of the company’s stock worth $71,000 after acquiring an additional 718 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in Lifeway Foods by 71.2% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,778 shares of the company’s stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 1,155 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its holdings in Lifeway Foods by 23.3% during the 4th quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 5,606 shares of the company’s stock worth $139,000 after purchasing an additional 1,059 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in Lifeway Foods by 40.5% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 6,420 shares of the company’s stock worth $167,000 after purchasing an additional 1,849 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in Lifeway Foods by 451.4% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,576 shares of the company’s stock valued at $274,000 after buying an additional 8,658 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 36.39% of the company’s stock.

Lifeway Foods Stock Performance

Lifeway Foods stock opened at $23.39 on Friday. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $10.06 and a fifty-two week high of $28.61. The stock has a market cap of $355.60 million, a P/E ratio of 27.20 and a beta of 0.93. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $22.49 and its 200-day moving average price is $23.82.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lifeway Foods news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.67, for a total value of $226,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 985,549 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,342,395.83. The trade was a 1.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 18th. The stock was 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 $29,075,643.66. The trade was a 1.57 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 82,034 shares of company stock worth $1,842,967. Insiders own 18.86% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods in a report on Monday. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock.

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.