Lifeway Foods (LWAY)
NASDAQ:LWAY
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Lifeway Foods
(NASDAQ:LWAY)
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Rating:72Outperform
Price Target:
$29.00
▲(6.85% Upside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:05/15/26
The score is driven primarily by strong fundamental quality (notably the balance sheet and improved profitability) and a very positive earnings update with continued growth initiatives. Offsetting factors are recent negative free cash flow and limited valuation support due to unavailable/unenlightening P/E and dividend yield data, while technicals suggest a constructive but not strongly trending setup.
Positive Factors
Conservative balance sheet
Lifeway’s exceptionally low leverage and growing equity provide durable financial flexibility, lowering refinancing and solvency risk. This balance-sheet strength supports sustained investment in capacity and marketing without urgent external financing, aiding long-term strategic execution.
Negative Factors
Negative free cash flow
Despite positive operating cash flow, recurring negative free cash flow reflects elevated capex or working-capital absorption tied to expansion. Prolonged FCF deficits can constrain organic funding for growth initiatives and require liquidity management or external financing to sustain investments.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Conservative balance sheet
Lifeway’s exceptionally low leverage and growing equity provide durable financial flexibility, lowering refinancing and solvency risk. This balance-sheet strength supports sustained investment in capacity and marketing without urgent external financing, aiding long-term strategic execution.
Read all positive factors
Lifeway Foods (LWAY) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$393.89M
Dividend YieldN/A
Average Volume (3M)91.81K
Price to Earnings (P/E)―
Beta (1Y)0.75
Revenue Growth21.85%
EPS Growth44.53%
CountryUS
Employees291
SectorConsumer Defensive
Sector Strength42
IndustryPackaged Foods
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)0.99
Shares Outstanding15,149,600
10 Day Avg. Volume70,180
30 Day Avg. Volume91,809
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio0.54
Price to Book (P/B)4.29
Price to Sales (P/S)1.73
P/FCF Ratio-22.35
Enterprise Value/Market Cap0.94
Enterprise Value/Revenue1.62
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit5.68
Enterprise Value/Ebitda15.39
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$34.00Price Target Upside25.28% Upside
Rating ConsensusHold
Number of Analyst Covering1
EPS Forecast (FY)1.24
Revenue Forecast (FY)$251.80M
Lifeway Foods Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
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, including lo...
How the Company Makes Money
Lifeway Foods primarily makes money by manufacturing and selling fermented cultured dairy products—most notably Lifeway-branded drinkable kefir—through wholesale distribution to retailers and other customers. Revenue is generated mainly from produ...
Lifeway Foods Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:May 14, 2026
(Q1-2026)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Aug 17, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call presented a strongly positive quarter highlighted by record revenue (+36.7% YoY), significant margin expansion (+360 bps), and 32% net income growth, supported by volume-led growth from core products, successful marketing (10M+ ad views), product innovation, and an on-track capacity expansion. Notable cautions included higher absolute SG&A spending (+16.8%), increasingly difficult year-over-year comps as the company laps 2025 distribution gains, and sensitivity of margin gains to favorable milk pricing. On balance the positive operational and financial results and clear growth initiatives outweigh the manageable cautions.Positive Updates
Record-Breaking Revenue and Extended Growth Streak
Net sales of $63.0 million in Q1 2026, a 36.7% year-over-year increase; crossed the $60 million threshold for the first time and marked 26 consecutive quarters of growth.
Negative Updates
Higher Absolute SG&A Spending
Selling, general & administrative expenses rose to $10.9 million, a 16.8% increase year-over-year, reflecting elevated marketing and brand-building investments (though SG&A leveraged by ~300 basis points as a percentage of revenue).
Read all updates
Q1-2026 Updates
Positive
Negative
Record-Breaking Revenue and Extended Growth Streak
Net sales of $63.0 million in Q1 2026, a 36.7% year-over-year increase; crossed the $60 million threshold for the first time and marked 26 consecutive quarters of growth.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
LifeWay said it exceeded the top end of the preliminary April outlook and reiterated confident near‑term guidance: the Waukesha facility expansion remains on track for completion by the end of 2026 with the full initiative online in Q1 2027 to materially increase production capacity, improve efficiencies and grow the workforce; management expects continued volume‑led growth off a record Q1 with net sales of $63.0 million (+36.7% YoY and the 26th consecutive quarterly increase), gross margin of 27.5% (up 360 bps from 23.9% a year ago), SG&A of $10.9 million (+16.8% YoY) but leveraged 300 bps as a percent of revenue, and net income of $4.7 million ($0.31 basic, $0.30 diluted; +32% YoY), while continuing to invest in marketing and innovation (including products presented at Expo West, a Costco twin‑pack roll‑out, and a partnership yielding 10+ million social views) to drive trial, velocity and share gains.Lifeway Foods Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
78
Positive
Balance Sheet
90
Very Positive
Cash Flow
52
Neutral
| Breakdown | TTM | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Jun 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 229.42M | 212.50M | 186.82M | 160.12M | 141.57M | 119.06M |
| Gross Profit | 65.44M | 58.21M | 48.57M | 42.44M | 26.79M | 28.71M |
| EBITDA | 24.15M | 20.15M | 17.46M | 20.20M | 5.08M | 8.61M |
| Net Income | 14.99M | 13.86M | 9.03M | 11.37M | 924.00K | 3.31M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 120.50M | 105.61M | 90.55M | 82.64M | 69.00M | 71.55M |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 5.60M | 5.57M | 16.73M | 13.20M | 4.44M | 9.23M |
| Total Debt | 7.37M | 466.00K | 117.00K | 2.92M | 6.68M | 7.46M |
| Total Liabilities | 30.18M | 19.79M | 18.64M | 22.20M | 21.43M | 22.42M |
| Stockholders Equity | 90.32M | 85.82M | 71.91M | 60.44M | 47.57M | 49.13M |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | -20.71M | -16.41M | 6.26M | 12.59M | 538.00K | 3.64M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 15.48M | 10.95M | 12.96M | 16.94M | 3.99M | 5.56M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -36.01M | -22.04M | -6.68M | -4.41M | -4.03M | -7.14M |
| Financing Cash Flow | 6.70M | -65.00K | -2.75M | -3.78M | -4.75M | 2.88M |
Lifeway Foods Technical Analysis
Positive
27.14
Price Trends
21.47
Positive
22.27
Positive
24.64
Positive
Market Momentum
1.26
Negative
74.76
Negative
92.98
Negative
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For LWAY, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 27.14 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 21.66, above the 50-day MA of 21.47, and above the 200-day MA of 24.64, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 1.26 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 74.76 is Negative, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 92.98 is Negative, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for LWAY.
Lifeway Foods Risk Analysis
Lifeway Foods disclosed 21 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Lifeway Foods reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks
Lifeway Foods Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (62)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
72 Outperform | $393.89M | ― | 17.25% | ― | 21.85% | 44.53% | |
68 Neutral | $391.79M | 20.53 | 12.30% | ― | 7.26% | 104.70% | |
66 Neutral | $574.89M | 65.80 | 13.36% | ― | 39.23% | 36.53% | |
62 Neutral | $20.33B | 14.63 | -3.31% | 3.23% | 1.93% | -12.26% | |
58 Neutral | $331.60M | 10.34 | 2.03% | ― | 5.67% | -73.96% | |
55 Neutral | $384.23M | -1,492.86 | -24.02% | ― | 8.99% | -20.05% | |
51 Neutral | $815.58M | -12.15 | -26.05% | ― | 47.24% | 17.97% |
* Consumer Defensive Sector Average
LWAY
Lifeway Foods
26.00
3.58
15.97%
NATR
Nature's Sunshine Products
22.28
7.41
49.83%
USNA
USANA Health
17.96
-12.31
-40.67%
MAMA
Mama's Creations
14.14
7.29
106.42%
BRCC
BRC
1.54
-0.43
-21.83%
WEST
Westrock Coffee
8.36
0.52
6.63%
Lifeway Foods Corporate Events
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Lifeway Foods Highlights Secondary Offering and Share Repurchase
Positive
May 14, 2026
On May 14, 2026, Lifeway Foods announced that Danone USA Public Benefit Corporation priced a secondary underwritten public offering of 3,454,756 Lifeway common shares at $19.50 each. The offering, expected to close on May 19, 2026, involves only e...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.