Watch List Profile: Lifeway Foods, Inc.
Lifeway Foods, Inc. (Nasdaq: LWAY)
http://www.lifeway.net/
52-week low / high: $7.45 / $20.75
Shares Outstanding: 16.82 million
Lifeway Foods, Inc. (Lifeway) is a maker of dairy and non-dairy health food products based on an ethnic Russian dairy drink called kefir. Lifeway’s Kefir is a dairy beverage that contains 10 live and active probiotic cultures, what the company calls "friendly" cultures versus yogurt, which contains only two or three "friendly" cultures. Lifeway’s Kefir products, according to company literature, offer more nutritional benefits.
Lifeway’s product lines includes, Kefir, various drinkable yogurts sold under the La Fruta and Tuscan brands, and BasicsPlus, a dairy based dietary supplement beverage said to support the immune system. The company also produces soy-based kefir products under the SoyTreat trademark as well as cheeses and spreads under the Farmer Cheese, Sweet Kiss and Cream Cheese Gourmet brands and several more products. Lifeway sells to supermarkets, grocery stores, gourmet shops, delicatessens and convenience stores.
Benefiting on the trends toward healthy eating and organic foods in
During the third quarter ended Sept. 30, 2007, sales increased 32% to $9.8 million year-over year. Sales of original Kefir were $8.4 million, up 28%.
Analysts are looking for 2007 sales of $39 million, 40% ahead of 2006 revenues and EPS of $0.26 versus $0.15 in 2006, a 73% improvement.
