Lifeway Foods 100 %
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MORTON GROVE, Ill., Mar 30, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Lifeway
Foods, Inc. (Nasdaq: LWAY) today announced its intent to investigate prospective
opportunities for the manufacturing and sales of its products in Canada. At
present, Lifeway has formed Lifeway Foods Canada, LLC as a business unit of its
LFI Enterprises, Inc. subsidiary and is in the process of obtaining registration
for Lifeway Foods Canada, LLC to engage in commercial activities in Quebec.
"We have had continued success with our products in Montreal and Toronto, and
are greatly excited to explore the possibility of pursuing these markets by
manufacturing our products directly in Canada," said President and CEO, Julie
Smolyansky. "Our principal operations in the United States will not be affected
by our examination of a potentially larger role in the Canadian marketplace."
Lifeway is a manufacturer of cultured, probiotic and functional food products in
the health food industry, and is America's leading supplier of the cultured
dairy product known as kefir. The Company markets 12 flavors of kefir and does a
successful business exporting its products to Canada. The Company also
participates in the organic and soy markets with Lifeway Organic(TM), Organic
Kefir and Kefir Cheese, and America's first soy kefir called SoyTreat(TM).
For more information, contact Julie Smolyansky, President, Lifeway Foods, Inc.
at (847) 967-1010, e-mail at info@lifeway.net or visit the Company's website at
www.lifeway.net or www.kefir.com
Wie´s dann weiter geht, ist nicht so schwierig:
Du gehst mit der Maus über den Chart. Dort erscheint nach 1-2 Sekunden ein gelber Kasten mit einem sog. Alternativ-Text
(in unserem Fall "Chart")
Dann klickst du mit der rechten Maustaste auf die Seite (nicht über dem Bild!) und im erscheinenden Kontextmenü dann auf "Quelltext anzeigen".
Der Quelltext wird dann im Editor angezeigt.
(Nicht erschrecken, ist alles nicht so schlimm!)
Dort suchchst du mit STRG+F nach dem Textblock " alt="Chart" "
oder was immer im gelben Kasten steht.
davor steht ein Text, der IMMER mit "img src" beginnt.
(in unserem Fall:
img src="http://ichart.yahoo.com/b?s=LWAY" width="512" height="288" border="0" alt="Chart"
das ganze steht in eckige Klammern (auf der Tastatur neben dem "Y")
Kann ich hier nicht machen, dann wird der Text nicht dargestellt.
Du kopierst den ganzen Kram inklusive der eckigen Klammern hier rein und fertig ists
Alles klar?
N-R
VectorVest Stock Analysis of Lifeway Foods as of 3/26/2004
Thank you for requesting an analysis of Lifeway Foods from VectorVest. The ticker symbol for Lifeway Foods is LWAY. LWAY is traded on the NASDAQ - (O)
Analysis Summary
LWAY is overvalued compared to its Price of $20.22 per share, has somewhat above average safety, and is currently rated a Buy.
In-Depth Analysis
Business: LIFEWAY FOODS INC, (LWAY) manufactures cultured, probiotic and functional food products in the health food industry. Its main product is kefir. Co. markets 12 flavors of kefir and exports its products to Eastern Europe.
Price: LWAY closed on 3/26/2004 at $20.22 per share
Value: Value is a measure of a stock's current worth. LWAY has a current Value of $11.23 per share. Therefore, it is overvalued compared to its Price of $20.22 per share. Value is computed from forecasted earnings per share, forecasted earnings growth, profitability, interest, and inflation rates. Value increases when earnings, earnings growth rate and profitably increase, and when interest and inflation rates decrease. VectorVest advocates the purchase of undervalued stocks. At some point in time, a stock's Price and Value always will converge.
RV (Relative Value): RV is an indicator of long-term price appreciation potential. LWAY has an RV of 1.15, which is good on a scale of 0.00 to 2.00. This indicator is far superior to a simple comparison of Price and Value because it is computed from an analysis of projected price appreciation three years out, AAA Corporate Bond Rates, and risk. RV solves the riddle of whether it is preferable to buy High growth, High P/E stocks, or Low growth, Low P/E stocks. VectorVest favors the purchase of stocks with RV ratings above 1.00.
RS (Relative Safety): RS is an indicator of risk. LWAY has an RS rating of 1.15, which is good on a scale of 0.00 to 2.00. RS is computed from an analysis of the consistency and predictability of a company's financial performance, debt to equity ratio, sales volume, business longevity, price volatility and other factors. A stock with an RS rating greater than 1.00 is safer and more predictable than the average stock in the VectorVest database. VectorVest favors the purchase of stocks of companies with consistent, predictable financial performance.
RT (Relative Timing): RT is a fast, smart, accurate indicator of a stock's price trend. LWAY has a Relative Timing rating of 1.72, which is excellent on a scale of 0.00 to 2.00. RT is computed from an analysis of the direction, magnitude, and dynamics of a stock's price movements over one day, one week, one quarter and one year time periods. Once a stock's price has established a strong trend, it is expected to continue in that trend for the short-term. If a trend dissipates, RT will gravitate toward 1.00. RT will explode from bottoms, dive from tops, and reflect changes in price momentum. VectorVest favors the purchase of stocks with RT ratings above 1.00.
VST (VST-Vector): VST is the master indicator for ranking every stock in the VectorVest database. LWAY has a VST rating of 1.40, which is excellent on a scale of 0.00 to 2.00. VST is computed from the square root of a weighted sum of the squares of RV, RS, and RT. Stocks with the highest VST ratings have the best combinations of Value, Safety and Timing. These are the stocks to own for above average, long-term capital appreciation. VectorVest advocates the purchase of safe, undervalued stocks rising in price. The efficacy of this indicator was demonstrated in a study conducted at the University of Chicago which showed that high VST stocks outperformed the S&P 500 by 583.1% over the six year period from 1996 through 2002.
CI (Comfort Index): CI is an indicator which reflects a stock's ability to resist severe and/or lengthy price declines. LWAY has a CI rating of 1.61, which is excellent on a scale of 0.00 to 2.00. CI is quite different from RS in that it is based solely upon a stock's long-term price history. VectorVest advocates the purchase of high CI stocks.
GRT (Earnings Growth Rate): GRT reflects a company's one to three year forecasted earnings growth rate in percent per year. LWAY has a forcasted Earnings Growth Rate of 24.00%, which VectorVest considers to be excellent. GRT is computed from historical, current and forecasted earnings data. It is updated each week for every stock in the VectorVest database. GRT often foretells a stock's future price trend. If a stock's GRT trend is upward, the stock's price will likely rise. If GRT is trending downward, the stock's Price will probably fall. VectorVest favors the purchase of stocks whose GRT is rising and is greater than the sum of current inflation and interest rates, (6.99%).
Recommendation (REC): VectorVest gives a Buy, Sell, Hold recommendation on every stock, every day. LWAY has a Buy recommendation. REC reflects the cumulative effect of all the VectorVest parameters working together. These parameters are designed to help investors buy safe, undervalued stocks rising in price. They also help investors avoid or sell risky, overvalued stocks falling in price. VectorVest recommends that investors buy high VST-Vector, Buy-rated stocks in rising markets.
Stop (Stop-Price): Stop is an indicator of when to sell a long position or cover a short position. LWAY has a Stop of $14.00 per share. This is $6.22 below LWAY's current closing Price. A stock's Stop is computed from a 13 week moving average of its closing prices, and is fine-tuned according to the stock's fundamentals. High RV, high RS stocks have lower Stops, and low RV, low RS stocks have higher Stops. In the VectorVest system, a stock gets a 'B' or 'H' recommendation if its Price is above its Stop and an 'S' recommendation if its Price is below its Stop.
EPS (Earnings per Share): EPS stands for leading 12 months Earnings Per Share. LWAY has a forecasted EPS of $0.30 per share. VectorVest determines this forecast from a combination of recent earnings performance and traditional fiscal and/or calendar year earnings forecasts.
P/E (Price to Earnings Ratio): P/E is a popular measure of stock valuation which shows the dollars required to buy one dollar of earnings. LWAY has a P/E of 67.40. This ratio may be deemed to be high or low depending upon your frame of reference. The average P/E of all the stocks in the VectorVest database is 35.70. P/E is computed daily using the formula: P/E = Price/EPS.
EY (Earnings Yield): EY reflects earnings per share as a percent of Price. EY is related to P/E via the formula, EY = 100 / (P/E), and may be used in place of P/E as a measure of valuation. EY has the advantages that it is always determinate and can reflect negative earnings. LWAY has an EY of 1.47 percent. This is below the current average of 2.80% for all the stocks in the VectorVest database. EY equals 100 x (EPS/Price).
GPE (Growth to P/E Ratio): GPE is another popular measure of stock valuation. It compares earnings growth rate to P/E ratio. LWAY has a GPE rating of 0.36. High growth stocks are believed to be able to justify high P/E ratios. A stock is commonly considered to be undervalued when GPE is greater than 1.00 and overvalued when GPE is below 1.00. Unfortunately, this rule of thumb does not take into account the effect of interest rates on P/E ratios. The operative GPE ratio of 1.00 is valid when and only when interest rates equal 10%. With long-term interest rates currently at 5.29%, the operative GPE ratio is 0.28. Therefore, LWAY may be considered to be undervalued.
DIV (Dividend): VectorVest reports annual, regular, cash dividends as indicated by the most recent payments. Special distributions, one-time payments, stock dividends, etc., are not generally included in DIV. LWAY does not pay a dividend.
DY (Dividend Yield): DY reflects earnings per share as a percent of Price. LWAY does not pay a dividend, so it does not have a Dividend Yield rating. . DY equals 100 x (DIV/Price). It is useful to compare DY with EY. If DY is not significantly lower than EY, the dividend payment may be in jeopardy.
DS (Dividend Safety): DS is an indicator of the assurance that regular cash dividends will be declared and paid at current or at higher rates for the foreseeable future. LWAY does not pay a dividend, so it does not have a Dividend Safety rating . Stocks with DS values above 75 typically have RS values well above 1.00 and EY levels that are much higher than DY.
DG (Dividend Growth Rate): Dividend Growth is a subtle yet important indicator of a company's financial performance. It also provides some insight into the board's outlook on the company's ability to increase earnings. LWAY does not pay a dividend, so it does not have a Dividend Growth rating .
YSG (YSG-Vector): YSG is an indicator which combines DIV, DY and DG into a single value, and allows direct comparison of all dividend-paying stocks in the database. LWAY does not pay a dividend, so it does not have a YSG rating . Stocks with the highest YSG values have the best combinations of Dividend Yield, Safety and Growth. These are the stocks to buy for above average current income and long-term growth.
Open: LWAY opened trading at a price of $20.10 per share on 3/26/2004.
High: LWAY traded at a High price of $21.20 per share on 3/26/2004.
Low: LWAY traded at a Low price of $20.03 per share on 3/26/2004
Close: LWAY closed trading at price $20.22 per share on 3/26/2004. (Close is also called Price in the VectorVest system)
Range: Range reflects the difference between the High and Low prices for the day. LWAY traded with a range of $1.17 per share on 3/26/2004.
$Change: LWAY closed down 0.18 from the prior day's closing Price.
%PRC: LWAY's Price changed -0.88% from the prior day's closing price.
Volume: LWAY traded 355,900 shares on 3/26/2004.
AvgVol: AvgVol is the 50 day moving average of daily volume as computed by VectorVest. LWAY has an AvgVol of 176,400 shares traded per day.
%Vol: %Vol reflects the percent change in today's trading volume as compared to the AvgVol. %Vol equals 100 x (Volume/AvgVol). LWAY had a %Vol of 101.76% on 3/26/2004
Sales: LWAY has annual sales of $14,000,000
Sales Growth: Sales Growth is the Sales Growth Rate in percent over the last 12 months. LWAY has a Sales Growth of 25.00% per year. This is excellent. Sales Growth is updated each week for every stock. It is often useful to compare Sales Growth to Earnings Growth to gain an insight into a company's operations.
Sales Per Share (SPS): LWAY has annual sales of $1.68 per share. SPS can be used as a measure of valuation when comparing stocks within an Industry Group.
Price to Sales Ratio (P/S): LWAY has a P/S of 12.04. This ratio is also used as a measure of valuation. Here, too, it is useful when comparing stocks within an Industry Group.
Shares: LWAY has 8,000,000 shares of stock outstanding.
Market Capitalization: LWAY has a Market Capitalization of $170,000,000. Market Capitalization is calculated by multiplying price times shares outstanding.
Industry Group: LWAY has been assigned to the Food (Dairy Products) Industry Group. VectorVest classifies stocks into over 200 Industry Groups and 40 Business Sectors.
Business Sector: LWAY has been assigned to the Food Business Sector. VectorVest classifies stocks into over 200 Industry Groups and 40 Business Sectors.
The basic strategy of VectorVest is to buy Low risk, High reward stocks. We suggest that Prudent investors buy enough High Relative Value, High Relative Safety stocks to keep the overall RV and RS ratings of their portfolios above 1.00. As you do this, you'll find that your risk will go down and your investment performance will improve.
Graph
Lifeway Foods
Food (Dairy Products)
danke für die Erklärung mit dem Chart, werde ich demnächst ausprobieren!
gruß#
GS
WAIT
Our system recommends WAIT as of today. Previous SELL recommendation was made on 4/16/2004 (31) days ago, when the stock price was 25.260. Since then the stock fell -49.33% .
Today the stock closed lower with a lower high and a lower low. The volume is normal. The security price is trending down.
Click here to get a full trend analysis of this stock Candlestick Analysis
Today’s Candlestick Patterns:
Spinning Top
Today a Spinning Top formed. Both the bulls and the bears were active during the session. Even though the session opened and closed with little change, prices moved significantly higher and lower in the mean time. Be careful, this indicates weakness among the bears and a potential change or interruption in the current trend!
Stock Quote
Last 12.800
Previous Close 13.480
Change -0.680
% Change -5.04%
Volume 303,014
Stock Activity
Open 12.930
Day's High 14.100
Day's Low 12.360
52 Week High 27.490
52 Week Low 3.650
Stock Price History
3 Month % Change -7.51
6 Month % Change 70.67
12 Month % Change 220.00
Stock Statistics
50 Day Close MA 19.551
200 Day Close MA 10.542
65 Day Volume MA 343,543
Composite Indicator
Trend Spotter (TM) Sell
Short Term Indicators
7 Day Average Directional Indicator Sell
10 - 8 Day Moving Average Hilo Channel Sell
20 Day Moving Average vs Price Sell
20 - 50 Day MACD Oscillator Sell
20 Day Bollinger Bands Hold
Short Term Indicators Average: 80% - Sell
20-Day Average Volume - 288606
Medium Term Indicators
40 Day Commodity Channel Index Sell
50 Day Moving Average vs Price Sell
20 - 100 Day MACD Oscillator Buy
50 Day Parabolic Time/Price Sell
Medium Term Indicators Average: 50% - Sell
50-Day Average Volume - 386826
Long Term Indicators
60 Day Commodity Channel Index Sell
100 Day Moving Average vs Price Sell
50 - 100 Day MACD Oscillator Buy
Long Term Indicators Average: 33% - Sell
100-Day Average Volume - 233087
Overall Average: 64% - Sell
Price Support Pivot Point Resistance
12.75 11.33 13.07 14.81
Sehr hilfreich!
Verkaufen macht IMHO momentan keinen Sinn.
Wenn der Chart nicht wirklich auf kaufen steht, warte ich erst mal ab.
Heute scheint ja auch schon wieder was zu gehen
Hast du gesehen?
Gestern in USA intraday zwischen 12.36 - 14.10
leider trotzdem negativ geschlossen.
Thanx und good trades,
NR
Today the stock closed lower, close to its low (sign of weakness) with a lower high and a lower low. The volume is extremely low. The security price is trending down.
Click here to get a full trend analysis of this stock Candlestick Analysis
Today’s Candlestick Patterns:
Long Black Candlestick
Today a Long Black Candlestick formed. Sellers were aggressive and selling pressure was strong. Be careful, this may indicate panic or capitulation!
Stock Quote
Last 10.690
Previous Close 11.280
Change -0.590
% Change -5.23%
Volume 124,186
Stock Activity
Open 11.600
Day's High 11.600
Day's Low 10.500
52 Week High 27.490
52 Week Low 3.650
Stock Price History
3 Month % Change -38.74
6 Month % Change 59.55
12 Month % Change 192.88
Stock Statistics
50 Day Close MA 17.464
200 Day Close MA 11.029
65 Day Volume MA 336,732
Lifeway Foods, Inc. Reports First Quarter Results -- Sales Up 19% -- Operating Income Up 50% -- Strong Margin Improvements
MORTON GROVE, Ill., May 17, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Lifeway
Foods, Inc. (Nasdaq: LWAY) today reported financial results for its first
quarter ended March 31, 2004.
For the quarter, Lifeway's sales climbed 19 percent to a record $3.93 million
compared to 2003 first quarter sales of $3.30 million. Gross profit in the
quarter increased 24 percent from the year ago period and operating income rose
50 percent to $953,852 from $637,980 in 2003.
Net income was $765,199, or $.09 per split adjusted share, compared to net
income of $993,273, or $.12 per split adjusted share in 2003. Contributing to
the change in net income and earnings per share was a non-recurring gain of
$1,246,287 from the disposition of real property and a change in the loss from
the sales of marketable securities approximately equal to $382,576, both of
which occurred in 2003.
"We are extremely pleased with our first quarter results," commented Edward
Smolyansky, Lifeway's controller. "We were able to post these strong results and
improve our gross margins even with a significant increase in the cost of milk.
Our milk costs, the largest component of our raw materials, were about 20
percent higher when compared to the 2003 first quarter. We feel comfortable we
can continue to maintain strong margins, even in the environment of rising milk
prices and an overall increase in the cost of doing business.
"We continue to see strong growth in our top-line sales and expect improved
product placements and visibility with our new packaging," stated Julie
Smolyansky, Lifeway's CEO. "We have already had positive feedback from our
limited test distribution of our new packaging. This new packaging, which will
incorporate our full line, will soon be ready to roll-out nationally."
Lifeway is a manufacturer of cultured, probiotic and functional food products in
the health food industry, and is America's leading supplier of the cultured
dairy product known as kefir. The Company markets 12 flavors of kefir and does a
successful business exporting its products to Canada. The Company also
participates in the organic and soy markets with Lifeway Organic(TM), Organic
Kefir and Kefir Cheese, and America's first soy kefir, called SoyTreat(R).
For more information, contact Julie Smolyansky, President, Lifeway Foods, Inc.
at (847) 967-1010 or e-mail at info@lifeway.net or visit www.lifeway.net
This news release contains forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned
that actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not
limited to, competitive pressures and other important factors detailed in the
Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Lifeway Foods, Inc.
Trend Spotter (TM) Sell
Short Term Indicators
7 Day Average Directional Indicator Sell
10 - 8 Day Moving Average Hilo Channel Sell
20 Day Moving Average vs Price Sell
20 - 50 Day MACD Oscillator Sell
20 Day Bollinger Bands Hold
Short Term Indicators Average: 80% - Sell
20-Day Average Volume - 184835
Medium Term Indicators
40 Day Commodity Channel Index Sell
50 Day Moving Average vs Price Sell
20 - 100 Day MACD Oscillator Sell
50 Day Parabolic Time/Price Sell
Medium Term Indicators Average: 100% - Sell
50-Day Average Volume - 290526
Long Term Indicators
60 Day Commodity Channel Index Sell
100 Day Moving Average vs Price Sell
50 - 100 Day MACD Oscillator Buy
Long Term Indicators Average: 33% - Sell
100-Day Average Volume - 253221
Overall Average: 80% - Sell
Price Support Pivot Point Resistance
10.69 9.83 10.93 12.03
die unterstützung bei 9 war wohl keine
Lifeway Foods to Introduce Low-Carb Kefir
Thursday June 10, 4:34 pm ET
MORTON GROVE, Ill., June 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lifeway Foods, Inc. (Nasdaq: LWAY - News) today announced plans to expand its portfolio of kefir products with a new line of no-sugar-added kefirs designed for consumers who follow low-carbohydrate diets. The new product will be showcased at Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City June 27-29, and will be available in stores later this year.
ADVERTISEMENT
Lifeway's low-carb kefirs will be available in strawberries n'cream, mixed berry, tropical fruit, and strawberry-banana varieties as well as in an original, unsweetened version. They will have 8 grams of carbohydrates and 2.5 grams of fat per 8-ounce serving.
"Low-carbohydrate diets have demonstrated impressive staying power, and we have had a growing number of requests for a no-sugar-added flavored kefir to meet the needs of consumers who follow a low-carb regimen or are diabetic," said Lifeway CEO Julie Smolyansky. "The combination of the ongoing popularity of the diet and the demonstrated consumer demand for a low-carb kefir convinced us to develop products specifically for this market."
"These low-carb kefirs will be a strong complement to our current product line and a new growth opportunity for the company," said Smolyansky. "We expect them to attract new kefir customers as well as help us retain existing kefir drinkers who are looking for a low-carb alternative."
Lifeway is a manufacturer of cultured, probiotic and functional food products in the health food industry, and is America's leading supplier of the cultured dairy product known as kefir. The Company markets 12 flavors of kefir and does a successful business exporting its products to Canada. The Company also participates in the organic and soy markets with Lifeway Organic(TM), Organic Kefir and Kefir Cheese, and America's first soy kefir called SoyTreat(TM).
MORTON GROVE, Ill., Jun 24, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Lifeway
Foods, Inc. (Nasdaq: LWAY), the nation's leading supplier of the cultured dairy
beverage kefir, has been named to the prestigious FSB 100 list of the
fastest-growing small public companies in the U.S. published this week by
FORTUNE Small Business magazine. Lifeway ranked 38th in the list, which is
online now at http://www.fsb.com
The print edition of the July/August issue carrying the FSB 100 list will
feature Lifeway CEO Julie Smolyansky on the cover and will be available on
newsstands July 5. A profile of the company in both editions notes that
Lifeway's earnings have grown 53% annually, revenues have risen 17% per year,
and the stock has returned 37% annually since 2001.
Much of Lifeway's growth has been generated by new products, including a kefir
beverage tailored to Hispanic tastes that is marketed under the brand name La
Fruta. This strategy will continue with the planned introduction of a new
low-carbohydrate kefir beverage that was announced earlier this month. The new
product will be available at grocery stores in select markets nationwide in the
third quarter this year under the brand name "Slim6."
The new FSB 100 represents FORTUNE Small Business' fourth annual ranking of the
100 fastest-growing small companies in America. To compile the list, the
publication asked financial research firm Zacks to screen annual reports for
public companies with annual revenue of less than $200 million and a stock price
of more than $1 (to eliminate penny stocks). Within that group, companies were
ranked based on earnings growth, revenue growth, and stock performance over the
past three years.
Lifeway is a manufacturer of cultured, probiotic and functional food products in
the health food industry, and is America's leading supplier of the cultured
dairy product known as kefir. The Company markets 12 flavors of kefir and does a
successful business exporting its products to Canada. The Company also
participates in the organic and soy markets with Lifeway Organic(TM), Organic
Kefir and Kefir Cheese, and America's first soy kefir called SoyTreat(TM).
For more information, contact Julie Smolyansky, President, Lifeway Foods, Inc.
at (847) 967-1010, e-mail at info@lifeway.net or visit http://www.lifeway.net
This news release contains forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned
that actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not
limited to, competitive pressures and other important factors detailed in the
Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCE Lifeway Foods, Inc.
CONTACT: Julie Smolyansky, President of Lifeway Foods, Inc.,
+1-847-967-1010, info@lifeway.net
URL: http://www.lifeway.net
http://www.prnewswire.com
Copyright (C) 2004 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.
KEYWORD: Illinois
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: REA
FOD
HEA
SPM
SUBJECT CODE: AWD
· FSB 100: Full List
· The 25 Richest Executives on the List
· Intro: Health Care Dominates
· Profile: Dairy Queen
· How We Pick the Fastest Growers
·Curd War
·Selling His Soul to Dannon?
THE FSB 100
Dairy Queen
Julie Smolyansky, head of Lifeway Foods (#38), is fermenting big things at the firm her father founded.
By Lindsey Gerdes
Julie Smolyansky says she often gets by on just four hours of sleep a night. It's a good thing too, because she can't afford much more. The 29-year-old CEO of Lifeway Foods, maker of the Russian-style yogurt drink kefir (pronounced "KEY-fur"), has a lot on her plate. Since 2001 the company's earnings have grown 53% a year, revenues are up 17% a year, and the stock has returned a healthy 37% annually—all of which helped Lifeway debut at No. 38 in the 2004 FSB 100. Smolyansky's company, based in Morton Grove, Ill., is now selling in all 50 states, and with expansion plans in Canada and dozens of new products in development (including kids' brands and low-carb versions), the young CEO doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon.
Lifeway's story begins more modestly. Twenty-eight years ago Mike Smolyansky, Julie's father and the company's founder, moved to the U.S. from Russia. He had less than $100 and a wife and an infant daughter, Julie, in tow. Accustomed to waiting in line for hours just to buy bread, his daughter says, he cried when he saw his first American grocery store. He began working as a mechanical engineer, and his wife opened one of the first Russian delis in Chicago in 1977. (She would eventually own five.) When the two attended a food show in 1986, they spotted kefir, a calcium- and protein-rich yogurt drink enjoyed by Russians for thousands of years and reputed to cure ailments from lactose intolerance to hangovers. The drink wasn't commercially available in the U.S., and Smolyansky thought he could market it to the growing Russian community in Chicago. He began making kefir in his basement and selling to local grocery stores.
A batch of kefir takes only 16 to 18 hours to produce, but the blend of bacterial cultures used to ferment the milk affects the product's taste and is a closely guarded secret. Mike Smolyansky got his cultures directly from Russia, an advantage that put him ahead of any upstart competitors. His business grew rapidly, and he decided to list the firm on the Nasdaq in 1988. "He didn't even know what it meant to go public," says Julie, "but he needed financing and somebody said he should. He researched it in the library."
In 1996, Julie graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago after just three years of study, and began working for her father a year later. "I didn't really know my father growing up," she says. "He was starting a company. But when I fell in love with it myself, I got to see what he was doing when he wasn't around. It healed our relationship."
After they had worked together five years, Mike Smolyansky suffered a fatal heart attack in June 2002. Julie, then 27, immediately stepped in as CEO, one of the youngest of any firm listed on a major exchange. "I put on a face for media and interviews, but I remember feeling really fragile," says Smolyansky, who spent much of that tragic Sunday evening sealing private records and installing security. "I was paranoid people would try to destroy us at our most vulnerable time." She had reason for concern: Someone had already tried to steal the company's recipes by rummaging through its trash eight years earlier. Julie dealt with her grief by immersing herself in work. She was in the office the next day at 6 a.m.
In the company's long climb back, Julie has been aided by her brother, Eddie, 24, who serves as Lifeway's controller. Her mother, Ludmila, became chairman of the board shortly after Mike Smolyansky's death, and the family owns roughly 51% of the company. Many of Lifeway's 55 employees have been with the company from its early days; Russian and English are spoken interchangeably in the office.
Since taking over, Julie has tried to introduce kefir to younger, more health-conscious shoppers. A fitness fanatic who has run five marathons, she developed soy and organic versions of kefir and now distributes them in small health-food stores (along with big grocery chains). She has also reached out to other ethnic groups. The company's La Fruta drink—thinner and sweeter than kefir—is gaining ground in Hispanic markets. Introduced just two years ago, it now makes up roughly 20% of revenue.
The stock has been volatile—it spiked to $28 this spring after a positive news story ran on the Motley Fool website. But even after stabilizing to a recent price of about $13, shares have more than quadrupled since Smolyansky took over. In May, Lifeway reported first-quarter revenue growth of 19% and operating-income growth of 50% over the same quarter in 2003.
With numbers like that, who needs eight hours of sleep anyway?
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Gesunde Ernährung wird zum Massenmarkt und Bio-Food gilt als Zukunftsmarkt in der Lebensmittel-Branche. Nach Ansicht von Zukunftsforschern, nimmt die gesunde Ernährung einen immer wichtigeren Stellenwert in unserer Gesellschaft ein. Der Trend nach gesunden, biologischen Fertigprodukten wird sich in den nächsten Jahren, nach Ansicht von Marktforschungsinstituten zu einem gigantischen Wachstumsmarkt entwickeln. Dieses neue Ernährungsbewusstsein hat inzwischen auch im FastFood Land Nr. 1, den USA Einzug gehalten. In jüngster Zeit setzen immer mehr Amerikaner in der Ernährung auf vollwertige und naturbelassene Lebensmittelprodukte. Eines der interessantesten Investments in diesem noch jungen aber wachstumsstarken Sektor, ist das in .Morton Grove, Illinois ansässige Unternehmen Lifeway Foods (Nasdaq: LWAY)
Die Unternehmensgeschichte von Lifeway Foods liest sich wie die klassische "Vom Tellerwäscher zum Millionär Story". Mit 1 USD in der Tasche wagte der Russische Emigrant Michael Smolyansky mit seiner Frau und Tochter 1976 den Neuanfang in den Vereinigten Staaten. In Chicago angekommen, fand Smolyansky schnell Anschluss in der westlichen Gesellschaft und machte als Ingenieur schnell Karriere. Bei einer Geschäftsreise 1985 in Deutschland, kam Smolyansky dann die Idee für ein eigenes Unternehmen. Der Zufall wollte es, das er in Deutschland zum ersten mal wieder, seit seiner Ausreise aus Russland, in den Genuss von Kefir gekommen ist. Zusammen mit seiner Frau Ludmila gründete er noch im selben Jahr das Unternehmen Lifeway Foods und startete in den USA mit dem Vertrieb von selbst hergestellten Kefir und stieß damit auf eine Marktlücke. Die steigende Nachfrage nach dem "Russischen Zaubertrunk" weckte schnell das Interesse von Investoren, mit deren finanzieller Hilfe Smolyansky sein Unternehmen weiter ausbauen konnte. Einer der größten Investoren, war dabei die US-Tochter des französischen Joghurt-Multis DANONE, die heute immer noch mit 20% a
Da sich der Text nicht vollständig reinkopieren läßt hier der Link zu der Erfolgsstory:
http://www.nasdaq-stocks.de/html/lifeway_foods.htm
<24.05.05 Die US-Handelskette Target Corporation wird in Zukunft verschiedene Kefir-Produkte von Lifeway Foods in sein Sortiment aufnehmen. Die Kefir-Produkte von Lifeway wurden erst vor kurzem vom "Health Magazine" und der "Vegetarian Times" ausgezeichnet.
17.05.05 Lifeway Foods können im 1.Quartal 05 den Umsatz im Vergleich zum Vorjahr um +18% auf 4,66Mio. USD steigern. Der Nettogewinn lag mit 725,391USD (0,09/Aktie) zudem 2Cent/Aktie über den Analystenschätzungen.>