Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) Share Price Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average of $13.74

Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY)’s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $13.74 and traded as high as $22.68. Lifeway Foods shares last traded at $21.43, with a volume of 165,526 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LWAY has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Lake Street Capital initiated coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods in a research report on Friday, April 5th. They set a “buy” rating and a $25.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com lowered Lifeway Foods from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 6th. Finally, Noble Financial restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Lifeway Foods in a report on Wednesday, March 27th.

Lifeway Foods Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 2.30 and a quick ratio of 1.75. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $15.38 and its 200-day moving average price is $13.74. The company has a market cap of $314.81 million, a P/E ratio of 28.20 and a beta of 1.33.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lifeway Foods news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 22,747 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.61, for a total value of $264,092.67. Following the sale, the insider now owns 1,364,787 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,845,177.07. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 22,747 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.61, for a total value of $264,092.67. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 1,364,787 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,845,177.07. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Pol Sikar sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.19, for a total transaction of $171,900.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 23,707 shares in the company, valued at $407,523.33. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 140,893 shares of company stock worth $2,242,876. 31.77% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of LWAY. EAM Investors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,353,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in Lifeway Foods during the third quarter worth $405,000. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Lifeway Foods by 15.6% in the fourth quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 235,097 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,153,000 after acquiring an additional 31,813 shares during the last quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods in the 3rd quarter valued at about $250,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods during the 4th quarter worth about $303,000. 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.