LWAY insider buying and SEC filings, explained
Lifeway Foods, Inc. · CIK 814586
Tracked: Forms 3/4/5, 8-K, NT · All filings on sec.gov
Company profile
- Exchanges
- Nasdaq
- Industry (SIC)
- Dairy Products
- State of incorporation
- IL
- Fiscal year end
- Dec 31
- Former names
- LIFEWAY FOODS INC
Insider activity in the last 12 months
Bought
$16.7M
Insiders who bought
3
Sold (not marked 10b5-1)
$93.2M
Planned sales (10b5-1)
$0
Insider purchases and sales, last 12 months
| Traded | Type | What was filed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 2026 | Sale | Edward Smolyansky (10% owner) sold 30,000 shares indirectly at about $22.64 ($679K). Indirect holdings down 3% to 864,793 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed Oct 15, 2026, 4:32 PM ET |
| Oct 2–6, 2026 | Purchase (code P) | William Zolezzi (10% owner) bought 103,684 shares indirectly between Oct 2 and Oct 6 at about $20.92 ($2.2M), reported as a purchase (code P). Indirect holdings up 4% to 2,451,792 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. Filed jointly with 4 other reporting owners. | SEC filing Filed Oct 6, 2026, 8:35 PM ET |
| Aug 19, 2026 | Purchase (code P) | Julie Smolyansky (CEO and Director) bought 2,000 shares at $25.26 ($51K), reported as a purchase (code P). Holdings up <1% to 2,214,095 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed Aug 19, 2026 |
| Aug 13–17, 2026 | Purchase (code P) | William Zolezzi (10% owner) bought 246,568 shares indirectly between Aug 13 and Aug 17 at about $24.85 ($6.1M), reported as a purchase (code P). Indirect holdings up 12% to 2,348,108 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. Filed jointly with 4 other reporting owners. | SEC filing Filed Aug 17, 2026 |
| Aug 12–14, 2026 | Sale | Edward Smolyansky (10% owner) sold 110,000 shares indirectly between Aug 12 and Aug 14 at about $26.50 ($2.9M). Indirect holdings down 11% to 894,793 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed Aug 14, 2026 |
| Jul 22, 2026 | Sale | Ludmila Smolyansky (Member of 10% owner group) sold 100,000 shares indirectly at about $30.11 ($3.0M). Indirect holdings down 16% to 507,207 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed Jul 23, 2026 |
| Jul 15, 2026 | Sale | Edward Smolyansky (10% owner) sold 66,916 shares indirectly at about $32.02 ($2.1M). Indirect holdings down 6% to 1,004,793 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed Jul 16, 2026 |
| Jul 6–7, 2026 | Sale | Edward Smolyansky (10% owner) sold 47,082 shares indirectly between Jul 6 and Jul 7 at about $29.47 ($1.4M). Indirect holdings down 4% to 1,071,709 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed Jul 9, 2026 |
| Jun 26–30, 2026 | Sale Amended filing | Edward Smolyansky (10% owner) sold 176,090 shares directly and indirectly between Jun 26 and Jun 30 at about $29.41 ($5.2M). Direct holdings down 16% to 852,642 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. This amends a filing from Jul 2. | SEC filing Filed Jul 2, 2026 |
| Jun 24, 2026 | Sale | Edward Smolyansky (10% owner) sold 38,452 shares at about $29.85 ($1.1M). Holdings down 4% to 1,014,190 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed Jun 26, 2026 |
| Jun 24–25, 2026 | Sale | Ludmila Smolyansky (Member of 10% owner group) sold 85,616 shares indirectly between Jun 24 and Jun 25 at about $29.87 ($2.6M). Indirect holdings down 12% to 607,207 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed Jun 26, 2026 |
| Jun 22, 2026 | Sale | Edward Smolyansky (10% owner) sold 50,000 shares indirectly at about $26.20 ($1.3M). Indirect holdings down 4% to 1,183,333 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed Jun 22, 2026 |
| Jun 10, 2026 | Sale | Ludmila Smolyansky (Member of 10% owner group) sold 20,000 shares indirectly at about $24.02 ($480K). Indirect holdings down 3% to 692,823 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed Jun 11, 2026 |
| May 14, 2026 | Sale | Danone S.A. (10% owner) sold 3,454,756 shares at $19.50 ($67.4M). Holdings down 100% to 0 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed May 20, 2026 |
| May 15, 2026 | Sale | Ludmila Smolyansky (Member of 10% owner group) sold 20,000 shares indirectly at about $24.64 ($493K). Indirect holdings down 3% to 712,823 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed May 19, 2026 |
| May 14–15, 2026 | Purchase (code P) | William Zolezzi (10% owner) bought 165,045 shares indirectly between May 14 and May 15 at about $25.46 ($4.2M), reported as a purchase (code P). Indirect holdings up 9% to 2,101,540 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. Filed jointly with 2 other reporting owners. | SEC filing Filed May 19, 2026 |
| May 14–15, 2026 | Sale | Edward Smolyansky (10% owner) sold 49,000 shares between May 14 and May 15 at about $25.11 ($1.2M). Holdings down 4% to 1,052,642 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed May 18, 2026 |
| May 14–15, 2026 | Purchase (code P) | Divisadero Street Partners, L.P. (10% owner) bought 165,045 shares indirectly between May 14 and May 15 at about $25.46 ($4.2M), reported as a purchase (code P). Indirect holdings up 9% to 2,101,540 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. Filed jointly with 1 other reporting owner. | SEC filing Filed May 18, 2026 |
| Apr 20, 2026 | Sale | Ludmila Smolyansky (Member of 10% owner group) sold 15,000 shares indirectly at $26.50 ($398K). Indirect holdings down 2% to 732,823 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed Apr 22, 2026 |
| Mar 19, 2026 | Sale | Edward Smolyansky (10% owner) sold 14,353 shares at about $17.77 ($255K). Holdings down 1% to 1,101,642 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed Mar 19, 2026 |
| Mar 18, 2026 | Sale | Ludmila Smolyansky (Member of 10% owner group) sold 10,000 shares indirectly at about $18.74 ($187K). Indirect holdings down 1% to 747,823 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed Mar 19, 2026 |
| Mar 16–17, 2026 | Sale | Edward Smolyansky (10% owner) sold 35,647 shares between Mar 16 and Mar 17 at about $20.29 ($723K). Holdings down 3% to 1,115,995 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed Mar 18, 2026 |
| Dec 23, 2025 | Sale | Ludmila Smolyansky (Member of 10% owner group) sold 26,431 shares indirectly at about $24.42 ($645K). Indirect holdings down 3% to 757,823 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed Dec 29, 2025 |
| Dec 10, 2025 | Sale | Ludmila Smolyansky (Member of 10% owner group) sold 20,000 shares indirectly at about $23.17 ($463K). Indirect holdings down 2% to 784,254 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed Dec 12, 2025 |
| Dec 8–9, 2025 | Sale | Ludmila Smolyansky (Member of 10% owner group) sold 28,569 shares indirectly between Dec 8, 2025 and Dec 9, 2025 at about $23.49 ($671K). Indirect holdings down 3% to 804,254 shares. Not marked as a 10b5-1 plan trade. | SEC filing Filed Dec 10, 2025 |
36 routine transactions (such as grants, option exercises or tax withholding) are not listed.
Cluster buys
2 insiders bought in 30 days
$6.2M in purchases since Aug 17, 2026 · Purchases traded Aug 17, 2026 to Aug 19, 2026 · Closed
| Insider | Value | Traded | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Zolezzi (10% owner) | $6.1M | Aug 17, 2026 | SEC filing |
| Julie Smolyansky (CEO) | $51K | Aug 19, 2026 | SEC filing |
2 insiders bought in 30 days
$8.4M in purchases since May 15, 2026 · Purchases traded May 15, 2026 to May 15, 2026 · Closed
| Insider | Value | Traded | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Divisadero Street Partners, L.P. (10% owner) | $4.2M | May 15, 2026 | SEC filing |
| William Zolezzi (10% owner) | $4.2M | May 15, 2026 | SEC filing |
Red flags
No red flags in the last 12 months.
Key events
No key events in the last 12 months.
8-K filings, last 12 months
No 8-K filings in the last 12 months.
Red flags are objective triggers only: the item or form filed, never an opinion.
Follow LWAY in the Insider Ledger app
Get the appA plain-English brief of insider purchases, 8-Ks and red flags at the companies you pick. No account needed.