Bailard Inc. Makes New $187,000 Investment in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY)

Bailard Inc. bought a new position in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 13,929 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $187,000. Bailard Inc. owned 0.09% of Lifeway Foods at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. EAM Investors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods in the third quarter worth about $1,353,000. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL boosted its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 64.9% in the third quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 49,455 shares of the company’s stock worth $511,000 after buying an additional 19,455 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods in the third quarter worth about $405,000. Navellier & Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods in the third quarter worth about $250,000. Finally, Denali Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 62.5% in the fourth quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 14,300 shares of the company’s stock worth $192,000 after buying an additional 5,500 shares during the period. 36.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 3,620 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.56, for a total value of $78,047.20. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 1,254,753 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,052,474.68. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 3,620 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.56, for a total transaction of $78,047.20. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 1,254,753 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,052,474.68. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Pol Sikar sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.19, for a total transaction of $171,900.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 23,707 shares in the company, valued at approximately $407,523.33. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 166,481 shares of company stock valued at $2,767,532 over the last 90 days. 31.77% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Lifeway Foods Trading Down 19.5 %

NASDAQ:LWAY opened at $20.01 on Tuesday. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a 12 month low of $5.61 and a 12 month high of $25.01. The firm has a market cap of $293.95 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.33 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a quick ratio of 1.75, a current ratio of 2.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The company’s 50 day moving average is $16.02 and its 200-day moving average is $13.99.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) last released 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. Lifeway Foods had a net margin of 7.10% and a return on equity of 20.92%. The company had revenue of $42.09 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $40.00 million. Equities analysts anticipate that Lifeway Foods, Inc. will post 1 EPS for the current year.

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.