LIFEWAY FOODS INC (LWAY)
Consumer Staples · Probiotic dairy beverages and cultured dairy products · NASDAQ
America's leading kefir maker, leveraging probiotic positioning and direct sales to drive profitable growth in the functional dairy beverage market.
What LIFEWAY FOODS INC does
Lifeway Foods is the largest producer and marketer of kefir in the United States, manufacturing drinkable kefir as its primary product alongside European-style soft cheeses, cream, drinkable yogurt, and other dairy products. Founded in 1986, the company pioneered commercial-scale kefir distribution in the U.S. and operates manufacturing facilities in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, selling through retail-direct, distributor, and direct store delivery channels.
Themes: ["Probiotic dairy products","Cultured dairy / kefir","Natural / better-for-you foods","Functional beverages"]
Fundamentals
- Price$30.91 as of 2026-07-09 close
- Market cap$466M as of 2026-07-10
- 1-year return+24.3% as of 2026-07-09 close
- P/E31.06 as of 2026-07-10
- Net margin+6.5% as of 2026-07-10
- Gross margin+28.1% as of 2026-07-10
- ROE+17.8% as of 2026-07-10
- Debt / equity0.08 as of 2026-07-10
- Revenue growth (YoY)+21.9% as of 2026-07-10
- Revenue CAGR (3y)+14.5% SEC XBRL
- Beta0.47 as of 2026-07-10
Dividend: 2-year non-decreasing per-share dividend streak (SEC XBRL).
Key risks (from latest filing)
["Dependence on kefir and probiotic products as core revenue driver (85% of sales from drinkable kefir); market adoption and consumer preference shifts could impact demand","Concentrated manufacturing footprint in U.S. with significant reliance on own facilities; supply chain disruptions at key plants (Morton Grove, Waukesha, Philadelphia) could constrain production and sales","Dairy commodity price volatility and input cost inflation; net margins dependent on ability to pass costs to customers through pricing"]
Competitors & peers
- General Mills (GIS)
- Danone (DANOY)
- Chobani
- Siggi's Icelandic Yogurt
- Wallaby Organic
Fundamentals: Finnhub, as of 2026-07-10. Filings: SEC EDGAR. Prices are delayed daily-close data.
Last updated 2026-07-09.
Informational only — NOT financial advice. All figures are delayed daily-close data from SEC EDGAR & Finnhub, shown with their as-of date.