Major LWAY holder Edward Smolyansky sells 176K Lifeway Foods shares
Filing Impact
Filing Sentiment
Form Type
4
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Lifeway Foods, Inc. major shareholder Edward Smolyansky reported multiple open-market sales of common stock. He sold 50,000 shares on June 30, 2026 at an average price of $29.56 per share and 55,794 and 55,754 shares on June 26, 2026 at weighted average prices of $29.87 and $28.64, respectively. He also sold 14,542 indirectly held shares on June 29, 2026 at an average price of $30.12 per share.
After these transactions, Smolyansky holds 852,642 shares directly, plus significant indirect holdings. Footnotes state that some shares are held by an Edward Smolyansky trust where he is trustee, by Smolyansky Holding LLC, and 100,000 shares are owned by his son, for which he disclaims beneficial ownership.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
Insider Trade Summary
Net Seller: 176,090 shares ($5,179,366)
Net Sell
6 txns
Insider
SMOLYANSKY EDWARD
Role
null
Sold
176,090 shs ($5.18M)
| Type | Security | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sale | Common Stock, no par value | 50,000 | $29.56 | $1.48M |
| Sale | Common Stock, no par value | 14,542 | $30.12 | $438K |
| Sale | Common Stock, no par value | 55,754 | $28.64 | $1.60M |
| Sale | Common Stock, no par value | 55,794 | $29.87 | $1.67M |
| holding | Common Stock, no par value | -- | -- | -- |
| holding | Common Stock, no par value | -- | -- | -- |
Holdings After Transaction:
Common Stock, no par value — 852,642 shares (Direct, null);
Common Stock, no par value — 1,168,791 shares (Indirect, See Footnote)
Footnotes (1)
- The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging between $28.50 and $29.49, inclusive. The reporting person undertakes to provide to the issuer, any security holder of the issuer, or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the ranges set forth in this footnote (1) and in footnotes (2), (3) and (5). The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging between $29.51 and $30.50, inclusive. The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging between $30.00 and $30.99, inclusive. Beneficially held by the Edward Smolyansky Trust 2/2/16, of which the reporting person is the trustee. The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging between $29.28 and $30.27, inclusive. The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares owned by his son. Held by Smolyansky Holding LLC. The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of any pecuniary interest therein.
Key Figures
Shares sold June 30, 2026: 50,000 shares at $29.56
Indirect shares sold June 29, 2026: 14,542 shares at $30.12
Total shares sold in period: 176,090 shares
+4 more
7 metrics
Shares sold June 30, 2026
50,000 shares at $29.56
Open-market sale of common stock
Indirect shares sold June 29, 2026
14,542 shares at $30.12
Indirect open-market sale
Total shares sold in period
176,090 shares
Net-sell across reported transactions
Direct holdings after transactions
852,642 shares
Common stock directly owned post-sale
Indirect holdings after transaction
1,168,791 shares
Total indirect ownership line after June 29 sale
Shares held by son
100,000 shares
Indirect ownership; beneficial ownership disclaimed
Shares held by LLC
500,000 shares
Held by Smolyansky Holding LLC; beneficial ownership largely disclaimed
Key Terms
open-market sale, weighted average price, beneficial ownership, pecuniary interest, +1 more
5 terms
open-market sale financial
"transaction_action: "open-market sale""
An open-market sale is when a shareholder sells existing shares directly on a public exchange to any willing buyer, rather than through a private deal. Think of it like putting goods on a busy market stall where price is set by supply and demand; for investors it matters because such sales increase available supply, can put short-term downward pressure on the stock price, and signal changes in liquidity or investor confidence.
weighted average price financial
"The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price."
Weighted average price is the average price of a security where each trade or component is counted according to its size, so bigger trades pull the average more than smaller ones. Think of it like calculating the average cost of a grocery haul where items you bought more of have greater influence on the final per-item cost. Investors use it to understand the true average price paid or received, judge execution quality, and compare trading performance against market movement.
beneficial ownership financial
"The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares owned by his son."
Beneficial ownership means the person or entity that actually enjoys the benefits of owning shares or other assets — such as receiving dividends, voting rights, or price gains — even if the legal title is held in another name. For investors it matters because knowing who truly controls and profits from a company reveals who can influence decisions, exposes potential conflicts of interest or hidden concentration of power, and affects transparency and risk in the stock.
pecuniary interest financial
"disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of any pecuniary interest therein."
ten percent owner financial
""is_ten_percent_owner": 1"
FAQ
What insider transactions did Edward Smolyansky report for Lifeway Foods (LWAY)?
Edward Smolyansky reported several open-market sales of Lifeway Foods common stock totaling 176,090 shares. These occurred on June 26, 29, and 30, 2026 at weighted average prices between $28.50 and $30.99, according to the detailed ranges disclosed in the footnotes.
What were Edward Smolyansky’s direct Lifeway Foods holdings after these sales?
Following the reported transactions, Edward Smolyansky directly held 852,642 shares of Lifeway Foods common stock. This figure reflects his remaining direct ownership after the open-market sales disclosed for June 26 and June 30, 2026 in the Form 4 filing.
What price ranges applied to Edward Smolyansky’s Lifeway Foods stock sales?
The filing states that reported prices are weighted averages. Footnotes describe multiple trades within ranges including $28.50–$29.49, $29.51–$30.50, $30.00–$30.99, and $29.28–$30.27, with full trade-by-trade details available on request.