LWAY
INSIDER BUYINSIDER SELLLIFEWAY FOODS, INC.
Research: Finviz ↗·Perplexity ↗
No convergence signal this quarter — shown because tracked funds have filed 13D/G on this stock.
News Summary
NegativeLifeway delivered record Q2 revenue of $66.9M (+24.1% YoY) and achieved 27 consecutive quarters of YoY growth, but gross margins compressed to 19.5% and net income fell to $0.1M ($0.01/share), triggering a stock decline despite top-line strength. Concurrent heavy insider selling by 10% owner Edward Smolyansky (~$5M in July-August) signals internal family/governance tension and potential lack of management confidence at elevated valuations.
Red flags
- •Gross margin compression to 19.5% despite record sales growth, indicating cost pressures are outpacing revenue gains
- •Net income collapsed to $0.1M despite $66.9M in sales (0.15% net margin), suggesting operational/structural profitability challenges
- •Substantial insider selling by 10% owner/director Edward Smolyansky of ~$5M in shares in July-August 2026 amid reported family dispute
- •Stock fell on earnings announcement despite record revenue, reflecting investor concern over margin deterioration
- •Danone stake sale (May 2026) eliminated a strategic investor/potential acquirer; protracted family governance tensions remain unresolved
Insider Activity
| Name | Title | Type | Shares | Price | Value | Filed | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMOLYANSKY JULIE | CEO, President and Secretary | BUY | 2K | $25.26 | $0.05M | 2026-08-19 | ↗ |
| Divisadero Street Capital Management, LP | — | BUY | 36K | $24.78 | $0.89M | 2026-08-17 | ↗ |
| SMOLYANSKY EDWARD | — | SELL | 45K | $25.82 | $1.16M | 2026-08-14 | ↗ |
| Divisadero Street Capital Management, LP | — | BUY | 15K | $24.69 | $0.37M | 2026-08-14 | ↗ |
| SMOLYANSKY EDWARD | — | SELL | 31 | $26.50 | $0.00M | 2026-08-14 | ↗ |
| SMOLYANSKY EDWARD | — | SELL | 30K | $24.89 | $0.74M | 2026-08-14 | ↗ |
| Divisadero Street Capital Management, LP | — | BUY | 196K | $24.87 | $4.87M | 2026-08-13 | ↗ |
| SMOLYANSKY EDWARD | — | SELL | 35K | $28.74 | $1.01M | 2026-08-12 | ↗ |
| SMOLYANSKY LUDMILA | — | SELL | 60K | $30.55 | $1.83M | 2026-07-22 | ↗ |
| SMOLYANSKY LUDMILA | — | SELL | 40K | $29.46 | $1.18M | 2026-07-22 | ↗ |
| SMOLYANSKY EDWARD | — | SELL | 42K | $32.32 | $1.37M | 2026-07-15 | ↗ |
| SMOLYANSKY EDWARD | — | SELL | 25K | $31.51 | $0.78M | 2026-07-15 | ↗ |
| SMOLYANSKY EDWARD | — | SELL | 39K | $29.41 | $1.15M | 2026-07-07 | ↗ |
| SMOLYANSKY EDWARD | — | SELL | 8K | $29.79 | $0.24M | 2026-07-06 | ↗ |
| SMOLYANSKY EDWARD | — | SELL | 50K | $29.56 | $1.48M | 2026-06-30 | ↗ |
| SMOLYANSKY EDWARD | — | SELL | 50K | $29.56 | $1.48M | 2026-06-30 | ↗ |
| SMOLYANSKY EDWARD | — | SELL | 15K | $30.12 | $0.44M | 2026-06-29 | ↗ |
| SMOLYANSKY EDWARD | — | SELL | 15K | $30.12 | $0.44M | 2026-06-29 | ↗ |
| SMOLYANSKY EDWARD | — | SELL | 56K | $28.64 | $1.60M | 2026-06-26 | ↗ |
| SMOLYANSKY EDWARD | — | SELL | 56K | $28.64 | $1.60M | 2026-06-26 | ↗ |
| SMOLYANSKY EDWARD | — | SELL | 56K | $29.87 | $1.67M | 2026-06-26 | ↗ |
| SMOLYANSKY EDWARD | — | SELL | 56K | $29.87 | $1.67M | 2026-06-26 | ↗ |
Fund 13D/13G Filings (1)
Tracked funds' beneficial-ownership filings on this stock — disclosed within days of a position change, fresher than the quarterly 13F. Since Filing compares the stock to SPY from the filing date (shown for filings within the last 90 days).
| Fund | Form | ∆ Shares | % of Class | Since Filing | Filed | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citadel Advisors | SC 13G | NEW | 5.8% | +6.2% vs SPY +8.5% abs | 2026-05-27 | ↗ |