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 fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 13,929 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $187,000.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Teton Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Lifeway Foods in the third quarter worth approximately $114,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Lifeway Foods in the third quarter worth approximately $143,000. Denali Advisors LLC increased its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 5,500 shares in the last quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc. bought a new stake in Lifeway Foods in the third quarter worth approximately $250,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in Lifeway Foods in the third quarter worth approximately $405,000. 36.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Lifeway Foods Trading Down 19.5 %

NASDAQ LWAY opened at $20.01 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $293.95 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.33 and a beta of 1.33. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a 52 week low of $5.61 and a 52 week high of $25.01. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $16.02 and a 200-day moving average price of $13.99. The company has a quick ratio of 1.75, a current ratio of 2.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 22,747 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.61, for a total transaction of $264,092.67. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 1,364,787 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,845,177.07. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, CFO Eric A. Hanson sold 20,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.15, for a total transaction of $383,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 32,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $618,487.55. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 22,747 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the insider now directly owns 1,364,787 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,845,177.07. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 166,481 shares of company stock worth $2,767,532 over the last quarter. 31.77% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on LWAY shares. Lake Street Capital started coverage on Lifeway Foods in a report on Friday, April 5th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $25.00 target price for the company. StockNews.com downgraded 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 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.