Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) Major Shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky Sells 15,000 Shares

Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 15,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.12, for a total transaction of $361,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 1,040,549 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,098,041.88. This trade represents a 1.42 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Large shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s shares are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Ludmila Smolyansky also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, January 6th, Ludmila Smolyansky sold 45,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.49, for a total transaction of $1,057,050.00.

Lifeway Foods Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of Lifeway Foods stock traded down $0.12 on Tuesday, hitting $23.10. 56,958 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 97,240. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $24.28 and a 200 day moving average price of $20.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $342.25 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.86 and a beta of 1.02. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a 1-year low of $9.93 and a 1-year high of $28.61.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LWAY has been the subject of several research reports. Noble Financial lowered Lifeway Foods from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Lifeway Foods in a research report on Wednesday, January 1st. They set a “hold” rating for the company.

Institutional Trading of Lifeway Foods

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Covestor Ltd purchased a new position in Lifeway Foods during the third quarter worth about $50,000. Rhumbline Advisers increased its position in shares of Lifeway Foods by 2,334.0% during 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 raised its stake in shares of Lifeway Foods by 71.2% in the 3rd 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 during the period. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lifeway Foods in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $82,000. Finally, Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 1,849 shares during the last quarter. 36.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.