Lifeway Foods, Inc. (LWAY)Consumer Defensive | Packaged Foods | Morton Grove, United States | NasdaqGM
31.75 USD
+0.05
(0.158%)
⇧
(July 13, 2026, 4 p.m.
EDT)
After hours: 31.75 |
Hot Take ↕ | July 11, 2026, 4:24 a.m. EDT
The investment case here is a classic tale of a turnaround story hitting its stride, but with significant caveats regarding capital allocation. Fundamentally, the business is showing exceptional signs of life: revenue is surging at 36.7% and earnings are up 30%, while the stock has nearly doubled over the last nine years. This multi-year ascent confirms the market's renewed belief in the company's quality, moving it away from the deep value traps of the past decade. However, the balance sheet is a glaring red flag; the company is carrying more debt than equity (8.3x ratio) and burning cash, which makes this a high-risk, high-reward situation rather than a safe compounder. Short-term momentum is building nicely. The stock has rallied off its lows, trading well above its 200-day average, and the recent price action shows resilience despite some insider selling. The options market reflects this optimism, with traders placing bets on further gains, though they are hedging against a potential sharp pullback given the high put IV. The dividend is non-existent, which is appropriate for a company in this aggressive expansion phase but eliminates it as a defensive income play. The insider selling by major shareholders is a concern, likely driven by liquidity needs or a desire to diversify, but it doesn't necessarily negate the operational success. The real tension lies in whether management can sustain this hyper-growth without diluting shareholders further or triggering a credit event given the leverage. For now, the upside momentum and improving fundamentals outweigh the balance sheet risks, making it a speculative growth play rather than a core holding. |
| Model | MAE |
|---|---|
| AutoTheta ✓ | 0.072074 |
| MSTL | 0.077786 |
| AutoARIMA | 0.078287 |
| AutoETS | 0.078371 |
| MSTL_84 | 0.085729 |
| MSTL_84_126 | 0.160855 |
| MSTL_126 | 0.163590 |
Forecast horizon: 60 days | Selected: AutoTheta
| Forecast Reliability | |
|---|---|
| Score | 35% |
| H-stat | 3.69 |
| Ljung-Box p | 0.000 |
| Jarque-Bera p | 0.237 |
| Excess Kurtosis | -1.05 |
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Sector | Consumer Defensive |
| Ex Dividend Date | 2013-05-28 |
| Last Dividend Date | 2013-05-28 |
| Debt to Equity Ratio | 8.295 |
| Revenue per Share | 15.063 |
| Market Cap | 485,199,936 |
| Trailing P/E | 33.07 |
| Forward P/E | 23.18 |
| Beta | 0.45 |
| Profit Margins | 6.53% |
| Website | https://lifewaykefir.com |
As of July 11, 2026, 4:24 a.m. EDT: Speculators are positioning for a moderate upside move, evidenced by heavy open interest in out-of-the-money calls (35 and 45 strikes) relative to puts. Implied volatility is significantly elevated for put options compared to calls, suggesting a 'crash protection' strategy rather than a pure bullish bet, though the volume skew favors buyers. The lack of in-the-money put activity indicates limited fear of an immediate collapse.
| Date | Dividend | Yield % |
|---|---|---|
| 2013-05-29 | 0.08 | 0.471976 |
| 2012-05-25 | 0.07 | 0.702811 |
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| 52 Week Change | 0.28029084 |
| Address1 | 6,431 West Oakton Street |
| All Time High | 34.2 |
| All Time Low | 0.234375 |
| Ask | 40.83 |
| Ask Size | 2 |
| Audit Risk | 8 |
| Average Daily Volume10 Day | 309,260 |
| Average Daily Volume3 Month | 167,416 |
| Average Volume | 167,416 |
| Average Volume10Days | 309,260 |
| Beta | 0.447 |
| Bid | 22.83 |
| Bid Size | 2 |
| Board Risk | 4 |
| Book Value | 5.91 |
| City | Morton Grove |
| Compensation As Of Epoch Date | 1,767,139,200 |
| Compensation Risk | 4 |
| Country | United States |
| Crypto Tradeable | 0 |
| Currency | USD |
| Current Price | 31.75 |
| Current Ratio | 2.139 |
| Custom Price Alert Confidence | HIGH |
| Date Short Interest | 1,782,777,600 |
| Day High | 32.345 |
| Day Low | 31.35 |
| Debt To Equity | 8.295 |
| Display Name | Lifeway Foods |
| Dividend Date | 1,372,377,600 |
| Earnings Call Timestamp End | 1,778,763,600 |
| Earnings Call Timestamp Start | 1,778,763,600 |
| Earnings Growth | 0.304 |
| Earnings Quarterly Growth | 0.32 |
| Earnings Timestamp | 1,778,761,800 |
| Earnings Timestamp End | 1,786,537,800 |
| Earnings Timestamp Start | 1,786,537,800 |
| Ebitda | 25,021,000 |
| Ebitda Margins | 0.109060004 |
| Enterprise To Ebitda | 19.467 |
| Enterprise To Revenue | 2.123 |
| Enterprise Value | 487,087,936 |
| Eps Forward | 1.37 |
| Eps Trailing Twelve Months | 0.96 |
| Esg Populated | 0 |
| Ex Dividend Date | 1,369,785,600 |
| Exchange | NGM |
| Exchange Data Delayed By | 0 |
| Exchange Timezone Name | America/New_York |
| Exchange Timezone Short Name | EDT |
| Fax | 847 967 6558 |
| Fifty Day Average | 26.2934 |
| Fifty Day Average Change | 5.4566 |
| Fifty Day Average Change Percent | 0.20752737 |
| Fifty Two Week Change Percent | 28.029083 |
| Fifty Two Week High | 34.2 |
| Fifty Two Week High Change | -2.4500008 |
| Fifty Two Week High Change Percent | -0.071637444 |
| Fifty Two Week Low | 17.31 |
| Fifty Two Week Low Change | 14.440001 |
| Fifty Two Week Low Change Percent | 0.83419997 |
| Fifty Two Week Range | 17.31 - 34.2 |
| Financial Currency | USD |
| First Trade Date Milliseconds | 599,409,000,000 |
| Float Shares | 7,577,371 |
| Forward Eps | 1.37 |
| Forward P E | 23.175182 |
| Free Cashflow | -22,558,000 |
| Full Exchange Name | NasdaqGM |
| Full Time Employees | 293 |
| Gmt Off Set Milliseconds | -14,400,000 |
| Governance Epoch Date | 1,782,864,000 |
| Gross Margins | 0.29674998 |
| Gross Profits | 68,080,000 |
| Has Pre Post Market Data | 1 |
| Held Percent Insiders | 0.38777 |
| Held Percent Institutions | 0.43403998 |
| Implied Shares Outstanding | 15,281,888 |
| Industry | Packaged Foods |
| Industry Disp | Packaged Foods |
| Industry Key | packaged-foods |
| Is Earnings Date Estimate | 1 |
| Language | en-US |
| Last Dividend Date | 1,369,785,600 |
| Last Dividend Value | 0.08 |
| Last Fiscal Year End | 1,767,139,200 |
| Last Split Date | 1,155,686,400 |
| Last Split Factor | 2:1 |
| Long Business Summary | Lifeway Foods, Inc. produces and markets probiotic-based products in North America. The company's primary product is drinkable kefir, a cultured dairy product in various organic and non-organic sizes, flavors, and milk types. It offers European-style soft cheeses, including farmer and white cheeses, and sweet kiss; cream and other products; drinkable yogurt; ProBugs, a line of kefir products designed for children; and Fresh Made butter and sour cream. The company sells its products under the Lifeway, Fresh Made, and GlenOaks Farms brand names, as well as under private labels on behalf of customers primarily through direct sales force, brokers, and distributors. Lifeway Foods, Inc. was incorporated in 1986 and is based in Morton Grove, Illinois. |
| Long Name | Lifeway Foods, Inc. |
| Market | us_market |
| Market Cap | 485,199,936 |
| Market State | PREPRE |
| Max Age | 86,400 |
| Message Board Id | finmb_284751 |
| Most Recent Quarter | 1,774,915,200 |
| Net Income To Common | 14,993,000 |
| Next Fiscal Year End | 1,798,675,200 |
| Non Diluted Market Cap | 484,435,849 |
| Number Of Analyst Opinions | 2 |
| Open | 31.94 |
| Operating Cashflow | 15,476,000 |
| Operating Margins | 0.10038 |
| Overall Risk | 4 |
| Payout Ratio | 0.0 |
| Peg Ratio | 3.5 |
| Phone | 847 967 1010 |
| Post Market Change | 0.0 |
| Post Market Change Percent | 0.0 |
| Post Market Price | 31.75 |
| Post Market Time | 1,783,981,119 |
| Previous Close | 31.7 |
| Price Hint | 2 |
| Price To Book | 5.3722506 |
| Price To Sales Trailing12 Months | 2.1149259 |
| Profit Margins | 0.065349996 |
| Quick Ratio | 1.435 |
| Quote Source Name | Nasdaq Real Time Price |
| Quote Type | EQUITY |
| Recommendation Key | none |
| Region | US |
| Regular Market Change | 0.0499992 |
| Regular Market Change Percent | 0.157726 |
| Regular Market Day High | 32.345 |
| Regular Market Day Low | 31.35 |
| Regular Market Day Range | 31.35 - 32.345 |
| Regular Market Open | 31.94 |
| Regular Market Previous Close | 31.7 |
| Regular Market Price | 31.75 |
| Regular Market Time | 1,783,972,800 |
| Regular Market Volume | 195,805 |
| Return On Assets | 0.12212 |
| Return On Equity | 0.1823 |
| Revenue Growth | 0.367 |
| Revenue Per Share | 15.063 |
| Sand P52 Week Change | 0.20847368 |
| Sector | Consumer Defensive |
| Sector Disp | Consumer Defensive |
| Sector Key | consumer-defensive |
| Share Holder Rights Risk | 5 |
| Shares Outstanding | 15,281,888 |
| Shares Percent Shares Out | 0.030299999 |
| Shares Short | 463,568 |
| Shares Short Previous Month Date | 1,780,012,800 |
| Shares Short Prior Month | 421,205 |
| Short Name | Lifeway Foods, Inc. |
| Short Percent Of Float | 0.074 |
| Short Ratio | 2.46 |
| Source Interval | 15 |
| State | IL |
| Symbol | LWAY |
| Target High Price | 35.0 |
| Target Low Price | 34.0 |
| Target Mean Price | 34.5 |
| Target Median Price | 34.5 |
| Total Cash | 5,604,000 |
| Total Cash Per Share | 0.367 |
| Total Debt | 7,492,000 |
| Total Revenue | 229,416,992 |
| Tradeable | 0 |
| Trailing Annual Dividend Rate | 0.0 |
| Trailing Annual Dividend Yield | 0.0 |
| Trailing Eps | 0.96 |
| Trailing P E | 33.072918 |
| Trailing Peg Ratio | None |
| Triggerable | 1 |
| Two Hundred Day Average | 24.08655 |
| Two Hundred Day Average Change | 7.6634502 |
| Two Hundred Day Average Change Percent | 0.31816307 |
| Type Disp | Equity |
| Volume | 195,805 |
| Website | https://lifewaykefir.com |
| Zip | 60,053 |