An entry written while the outcome is still unknown. It will be scored by what the market does next, and it will never be edited to look cleverer than it was.
In plain words · Lifeway Foods, Inc.
VERDICT
The label
Accumulation
read at $31.95
Lifeway Foods, Inc. holds its Accumulation at $31.95.
PHPhase · the trend structure carries the Accumulation label
INInsiders · no filings inside 60 days, left as found
POPositioning · no disclosures inside 60 days, left as found
OPOptions · no verdict drawn today, left as found
SCScreen · passes the values gate
edge confirmed
edge broken
edge forming
Each arm is one independent read. Conviction is not a single call, it is how many edges converge.
INVESTOR
The investor read · the season, not the day
As held on the ledger · 2026-07-19
Phase
Accumulation
Quantitative state
The statistical read favours the sellers, held for 8 days
Price
$31.95
Valuation
33.28 trailing · 23.32 forward price to earnings
Values screen
PASS· score 98.8
Beta
0.45
OPPORTUNITY
The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth
Our framework reads OPPORTUNITY — it trades above our $30.95 fair value estimate, moderate competitive moat, 36.70% revenue growth.
Read at
$31.95
33.28 P/E · 23.32 fwd
Our fair value
$30.95
3% premium
Analyst target (avg)
$34.50
+8% to current
Target low $34.00Analyst target rangeTarget high $35.00
▲ current $31.95 · | average target
Price history & projections · where it has been, where the models see it going
The valuation journey · where the price sits against fair value and the Street
Current
$31.95
you are here
Conservative
$30.60
-4%
Analyst avg
$34.50
+8%
Our fair value
$30.95
-3%
Analyst high
$35.00
+10%
Green marks levels above today's price, red below; the shaded band is the gap between the price and our fair value.
Reading the gap · Our more conservative model reads it as fully-to-richly valued here, while the Street is more bullish — a quality-at-a-fair-price name rather than a deep-value one.
Revenue growth
36.70%
Profit margin
6.53%
Debt to equity
8.30
Analyst consensus
None · 2 covering
Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; target range reflects third-party analyst estimates. Analysis, not advice.
SCREEN
The values screen, explained · five checks, plain English
This company clears both standards. There are two widely recognised ways to check whether a company is suitable for a Muslim investor. Here is how it did on each:
The common standard· AAOIFI Used by most halal investing apps✓ PASSES
Our stricter standard· asset-based The one Titan applies✓ PASSES
Business activityIts core business isn't built on prohibited lines — no gambling, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, or interest-based lending.Pass
Debt loadInterest-bearing debt is just 1.9% of its assets, well under the one-third ceiling — it does not run on borrowed money.Pass
Interest-bearing cashCash held in interest-bearing accounts and securities is 1.4% of assets, under the one-third limit.Pass
ReceivablesMoney owed to the company is 0.0% of assets, under the 49% limit.Pass
Revenue purityOnly 0.0% of revenue comes from non-compliant sources — under the 5% line.Pass
Every security is read against two recognised standards: our stricter asset-based screen (ratios measured against total assets) and the more widely used market-value standard (measured against market capitalisation). Where they agree we say so plainly; where they part ways — almost always on the debt check — we show both readings and mark it, because that disagreement is the finding, not a fault. We report the score; you and your scholar make the call.
PLAIN
The business, in plain words · what the numbers mean
Kefir brand grows fast but stays pricey
Walk down any supermarket dairy aisle and you will spot the kefir bottles next to the yoghurt. Lifeway makes most of them in North America and the numbers show the bet is working. Revenue is rising 37 percent, return on equity sits at 18 percent and the business clears our ethical screen without trouble. A moderate moat and defensive category give it real staying power even with only two analysts covering the name.
At 23.3 times forward earnings the shares sit just above our fair value of 30.95 dollars, a slim 3 percent premium to the current price. Profit margins of 7 percent are respectable for packaged food yet leave little room for error if milk prices spike or a bigger rival copies the range. The 34 dollar analyst target offers modest upside but the thin coverage means any forecast carries extra uncertainty.
High growth in a defensive sector is attractive yet the valuation already prices in most of the good news and any slowdown would compress the multiple quickly. Analysis, not advice.
Screened names in the same industry · explore each on its own page.
TRADE
Where & how to trade · wherever in the world you are
LWAY trades on Nasdaq. As a US-listed security it is accessible through almost any international broker offering US markets. New to this, or investing from outside the US? Our guide to accessing global markets covers brokers, currencies and the practical steps.
TRADER
The trader read · the latest dated commentary
The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with near-perfect ethical score. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it D, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading bearish. Over the past year the shares are down 4%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 33%. The street (2 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $34. Entered 2026-07-18 · Distribution
JOURNAL
The dated journal · newest first, never edited
2026-07-18Distribution$23.60+0.0%Entry 3
The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with near-perfect ethical score. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it D, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading bearish. Over the past year the shares are down 4%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 33%. The street (2 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $34.
2026-07-03Distribution$23.60+0.0%Entry 2
The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with near-perfect ethical score (99). The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns.
2026-07-02Distribution$23.60Entry 1
The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Ethical screening: PASS with near-perfect ethical score (99). The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns.
Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.
INSIDERS
The insider ledger · Form 4 filings, as filed
Most recent filings · LWAY
Date
Insider
Title
Type
Shares
Value
2026-05-15
SMOLYANSKY EDWARD P
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
49,000
$1,230,302
2026-05-15
DIVISADERO STREET CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LP
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
165,045
$4,200,968
2026-05-15
ZOLEZZI WILLIAM
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
165,045
$4,200,968
2026-05-14
GROUPE DANONE
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
3,454,756
$89,823,656
2026-04-20
SMOLYANSKY LUDMILA
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
15,000
$397,500
2026-03-27
HANSON ERIC A
Chief Financial Officer
743
$13,597
2026-03-27
HANSON ERIC A
Chief Financial Officer
743
·
2026-03-19
SMOLYANSKY EDWARD P
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
14,353
$255,053
2026-03-18
SMOLYANSKY LUDMILA
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
10,000
$187,400
2026-03-17
SMOLYANSKY EDWARD P
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
