O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC Sells 1,876 Shares of Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY)

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC lessened its holdings in Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) by 15.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 9,892 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,876 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC owned about 0.07% of Lifeway Foods worth $245,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of Lifeway Foods by 712.8% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 85,959 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,132,000 after purchasing an additional 75,383 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in Lifeway Foods by 27.7% in the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 69,302 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,719,000 after buying an additional 15,046 shares during the last quarter. Towerview LLC lifted its stake in Lifeway Foods by 75.0% during the 4th quarter. Towerview LLC now owns 35,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $868,000 after acquiring an additional 15,000 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in Lifeway Foods by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 55,841 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,385,000 after acquiring an additional 868 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers grew its stake in shares of Lifeway Foods by 23.3% in the 4th quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 5,606 shares of the company’s stock worth $139,000 after acquiring an additional 1,059 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 36.39% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods in a report on Monday, April 7th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock.

Insider Transactions at Lifeway Foods

In other Lifeway Foods news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.67, for a total transaction of $226,700.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 985,549 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,342,395.83. This represents a 1.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, major shareholder Edward Smolyansky sold 20,000 shares of Lifeway Foods stock in a transaction dated 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 owns 1,251,642 shares of the company’s stock, 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. Insiders sold a total of 82,034 shares of company stock worth $1,842,967 in the last quarter. Insiders own 18.86% of the company’s stock.

Lifeway Foods Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of LWAY opened at $23.22 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $22.49 and a 200 day moving average of $23.80. The company has a market capitalization of $353.01 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.00 and a beta of 0.93. Lifeway Foods, Inc. has a 12 month low of $10.06 and a 12 month high of $28.61.

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

Lifeway Foods 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.