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ZYBERNO
Stock Report
Updated Aug 30, 2026

LIFEWAY FOODS, INC. (LWAY)

Consumer Staples • NASDAQ

$26.35

Professional Investment Analysis

ZYBERNO SCORE →
Is it a great business? Is it getting better?
60.0/100
AVERAGE BUSINESS
LIFEWAY FOODS, INC. (LWAY) scores 60/100 — decent metrics but limited evidence of durable competitive advantage.
📊 How is the Zyberno Score calculated? +
VALUATION SIGNAL
MARGIN OF SAFETY
Is this stock cheap or expensive relative to what the business has historically generated for owners?
-55.8%
Overvalued
Is the market underestimating or overestimating what this business is capable of going forward?
+8.8%
Market Underestimates
↑ UNDER
+50%
Brina Gap
-50%
↓ OVER
← OVERVALUED
-100%
Margin of Safety
UNDERVALUED →
+100%
UNDERESTIMATED
GROWTH
DOUBLE
DISCOUNT
EXPENSIVE
HYPE
VALUE
TRAP
0,0
MoS -55.8%  ·  Gap +8.8%

Two independent signals. One tells you if the stock is cheap relative to what the business has historically generated for owners — the Margin of Safety. The other tells you if the market is underestimating what the business is capable of going forward — the Brina Gap.

They are calculated from completely different data sources and answer completely different questions. The Margin of Safety reads the past. The Brina Gap reads the present economics and compares them against what the current stock price is assuming about the future.

When both point in the same direction simultaneously — DOUBLE DISCOUNT — the probability of genuine mispricing is high. The market is wrong on two independent dimensions at once, which is rare and significant.

The most dangerous scenario is not an overvalued stock — those are easy to avoid. It is a VALUE TRAP: a stock that appears cheap historically but where the market is already pricing in stronger growth than the business fundamentals support. Without the Brina Gap signal this looks identical to a genuine opportunity. The matrix separates them instantly.

The Brina Gap is the more powerful of the two signals. Most investors and analytical tools focus on valuation alone — whether a stock is cheap relative to earnings. Far fewer systematically compare what the business economics structurally support against what the stock price is actually assuming. That gap between fundamental growth potential and market expectations is where the most reliable mispricings live, and where this matrix earns its value.

Use this as your first filter. A stock in DOUBLE DISCOUNT territory is worth investigating. Everything else requires either more caution or a specific reason to act.

EXPENSIVE WITH GROWTH POTENTIAL
LIFEWAY FOODS, INC. (LWAY) trades at a premium (Margin of Safety -55.8%) despite the market underestimating forward growth (Brina Gap +8.8%). No margin of safety at current price.
⚠ Significant divergence between Owner Earnings and Free Cash Flow (1.55×). Intrinsic Value and Brina Gap are likely overstated — acquisition-related D&A is inflating Owner Earnings. Verify earnings quality before acting.
🎯 Expected Annual Return →
1.3%
Margin of Safety convergence — your return if the market re-prices to intrinsic value (5-yr annualised)
17.9%
Brina Gap convergence — your return if the market corrects the growth mispricing the Gap measures
22.6%
Yield + growth — what the business alone earns you, even if the market never re-rates
💰 How is Margin of Safety calculated? +
📈 How is Brina Gap calculated? +

Critical Financial Health Indicators

Return on Equity (Profitability):AVERAGE (12.7%)
Debt-to-Equity (Solvency Risk):EXCELLENT (0.01x)
Operating Margin (Operational Efficiency):POOR (6.5%)
Return on Capital (Capital Efficiency):AVERAGE (10.1%)
📊 Valuation Trilogy
Three interconnected metrics for complete valuation analysis
💎
Intrinsic Value
DCF Fair Value
$16.91
🛡️
Margin of Safety
Valuation Gap
-55.8%
🎯
Expected Return
Projected Annual
1.3%
Click any metric for full methodology and detailed analysis
Zyberno's Verdict

According to Zyberno, LIFEWAY FOODS, INC. (LWAY) shows Underestimated Growth — AVERAGE BUSINESS (60/100) with a Brina Gap of +8.8% showing underestimated forward growth, but no margin of safety at -55.8%.

According to Zyberno's DCF model, LIFEWAY FOODS, INC. (LWAY) trades at $26.35 against an estimated intrinsic value per share of $16.91 — a -55.8% Margin of Safety based on Owner Earnings of $11.38M TTM, projected at 13.0% growth for 10 years with a 2.5% terminal growth rate. The Brina Gap of +8.8% strengthens the case: based on the company's ROIC (10.1%) and reinvestment rate (297.3%), the business can fundamentally grow at 30.0% — but the current enterprise value implies the market expects 21.2%. This places LWAY in the Underestimated Growth quadrant of the Brina Matrix, where growth is underestimated but no margin of safety on existing cash. Zyberno's model translates this into a 5-year expected return of 1.3% annually.

Over the trailing twelve months, LWAY generated $11.38M in Owner Earnings. Capital was deployed as follows: $4.94M returned via share buybacks, $36.18M invested in capital expenditures. Reinvestment rate: 297.3%. Owner Earnings have grown at 13.0% annually over the trailing five years using log-linear regression.

DIVISION I: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A. Market Valuation

Market Price & Capitalization (2)

Current Price:26.35
Market Cap:$399.49M

Valuation Multiples (4)

P/E Ratio:
38.19x
📊 Click to view full LWAY P/E analysis →
P/B Ratio:4.72x
P/S Ratio:1.65x
Peg Ratio:-999.00x

Enterprise Metrics (2)

Enterprise Value:$392.93M
Ev Ebitda Ratio:20.69x

Price Action & Momentum (3)

12-1 Momentum:
+22.0% (64th pctile)
📈 Click to view full LWAY Momentum analysis →
Momentum Percentile:64 / 100
% of 52-Week High:77.0%
B. Profitability Assessment

Return Metrics (7)

ROE:
12.7%
📊 Click to view full LWAY ROE analysis →
ROA:9.3%
Roic:
10.1%
📊 Click to view full LWAY ROIC analysis →
Reinvestment Rate:297.3%
Fundamental Growth Rate (g):30.0%
Market-Implied Growth Rate:21.2%
Brina Gap:
8.8%
☷ Click to view full LWAY Brina Gap analysis →
UNRELIABLE

Margin Analysis (3)

Operating Margin Ttm:6.5%
Net Margin Ttm:4.5%
Ebitda Margin:7.8%

TTM Performance (3)

Gross Margin Ttm:25.6%
Operating Margin Ttm:6.5%
Net Margin Ttm:4.5%

Yield Metrics (3)

Earnings Yield:$2.36
Owner Earnings Yield:$2.57
Dividend Yield:0.0%
C. Log-Linear Regression Growth Trends

Earnings Surprise (SUE) (3)

Earnings Surprise (SUE):
-2.88
📊 Click to view full LWAY Earnings Surprise analysis →
EPS Surprise vs Expected:-97.0%
Latest Earnings Filed:2026-08-13

Revenue Growth (Linear) (1)

Revenue Growth Rate (Linear):16.4%

Earnings Growth (Linear) (1)

Net Income Growth Rate (Linear):6.4%

Cash Flow Growth (Linear) (2)

Free Cash Flow Growth Rate (Linear):-5.8%
Operating Cash Flow Growth Rate (Linear):37.2%

Operating Growth (Linear) (1)

Operating Income Growth Rate (Linear):6.8%
D. Financial Stability

Liquidity Ratios (3)

Current Ratio:2.09x
Quick Ratio:1.47x
Cash Ratio:0.31x

Leverage Analysis (3)

Debt To Equity Ttm:0.01x
Debt-to-Equity Ratio:0.01x
Debt To Ebitda:0.03x

Coverage Ratios (2)

Interest Coverage Ratio:49.76x
Times Interest Earned:49.76

Capital Structure (4)

Working Capital:24,657,000.00
Cash And Cash Equivalents:7,087,000.00
Long Term Debt:$393.00K
Net Debt:-$6.57M
DIVISION II: FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ANALYSIS
A. Income Statement Analysis

Revenue Components (2)

Revenue TTM: $242.41M
Linear Growth: 16.4%
📊 Click to view full LWAY Revenue analysis & methodology →
Cost Of Revenue Ttm:$180.26M

Profitability Breakdown (2)

Gross profit TTM: $62.15M
Linear Growth: 19.6%
📊 Click to view full LWAY Gross Profit analysis & methodology →
Operating income TTM: $15.73M
Linear Growth: 6.8%
📊 Click to view full LWAY Operating Income analysis & methodology →

Bottom Line Performance (3)

Net income TTM: $10.87M
Linear Growth: 6.4%
📊 Click to view full LWAY Net Income analysis & methodology →
Income Before Tax:$15.47M
Ebitda Ttm:18,994,000.00

Operating Expenses (5)

Operating Expenses:46,420,000.00
R And D Expense:0.00
Sga Expense:21,583,000.00
Income Tax Expense:$4.60M
Interest Expense:325,000.00

Expense Ratios (3)

R And D To Revenue Percentage:0.0%
Sga To Revenue Percentage:32.3%
Ebitda Margin:7.8%
B. Balance Sheet Analysis

Asset Composition (5)

Total Assets:$132.40M
Current Assets:$47.19M
Ppe Net:65,596,000.00
Goodwill:11,704,000.00
Intangible Assets:$5.55M

Liability Structure (4)

Total Liabilities:47,825,000.00
Current Liabilities:22,532,000.00
Long Term Debt:$393.00K
Short Term Debt:$128.00K

Equity & Capital (3)

Equity:$84.57M
Retained Earnings:$93.48M
Common Stock:40,000,000.00

Working Capital Items (3)

Accounts Receivable:22,861,000.00
Inventory:13,987,000.00
Accounts Payable:17,483,000.00

Special Items (2)

Contract Liabilities:0.00
Stock Based Compensation:535,000.00
C. Cash Flow Analysis

Operating Activities (2)

Operating cash flow TTM: $15.48M
Linear Growth: 37.2%
Free cash flow TTM: -$20.71M
Linear Growth: -5.8%
📊 Click to view full LWAY Free Cash Flow analysis & methodology →

Investment Activities (2)

Investing Cash Flow:-$11.04M
Capital Expenditures Ttm:36,183,000.00

Financing Activities (3)

Financing Cash Flow:$6.70M
Dividends Paid Ttm:0.00
Stock Repurchase:4,937,000.00

Capital Transactions (3)

Common Stock Issuance:0.00
Long Term Debt Issuance:$0.00
Long Term Debt Repayments:$0.00

Non-Cash Items (1)

Depreciation Amortization Ttm:3,266,000.00
DIVISION III: OPERATIONAL METRICS
A. Per Share Analysis

Earnings Per Share (3)

EPS (Basic TTM):0.72
Eps diluted TTM: $0.69
Linear Growth: 6.6%
📊 Click to view full LWAY EPS analysis & methodology →
Earnings Per Share Ttm:$0.72

Revenue & Cash Per Share (2)

Sales Per Share Ttm:15.99
Operating Cash Flow Per Share:$0.72

Book Value & Capital (2)

Book Value Per Share:$5.58
Cash Per Share:0.47

Dividend Policy (1)

Dividend Payout Ratio:0.00x
B. Operational Efficiency

Asset Utilization (2)

Asset Turnover Ttm:2.07x
Working Capital Turnover Ttm:9.83x

Receivables Management (2)

Receivables Turnover Ttm:10.60x
Days Sales Outstanding Ttm:34.42

Inventory Management (2)

Inventory Turnover Ttm:12.89x
Days Inventory Outstanding Ttm:28.32

Payables & Cash Cycle (2)

Days Payable Outstanding:35.40
Cash Conversion Cycle:27.34
C. Quality & Risk Metrics

Financial Quality Scores (2)

Financial Strength Score:100.00
Quality Score:80.00

Market Metrics (2)

Beta:0.00x
Volatility Category:unknown
DIVISION IV: INVESTMENT ANALYSIS
A. Value Investment Framework

Owner Earnings Analysis (3)

Owner earnings TTM: $11.38M
Linear Growth: 13.0%
📊 Click to view full LWAY Owner Earnings analysis & methodology →
Owner Earnings Per Share:$0.75
Owner Earnings Yield:$2.57

Growth Assessment (1)

Owner Earnings Growth Rate:$13.00

Damodaran Growth Analysis (4)

Reinvestment Rate:297.3%
Fundamental Growth Rate (g):30.0%
Market-Implied Growth Rate:21.2%
Brina Gap:
8.8%
☷ Click to view full LWAY Brina Gap analysis →
UNRELIABLE

Intrinsic Value Models (1)

Intrinsic Value:
$256.45M
📊 Click to view full LWAY DCF valuation →

Margin of Safety (1)

Margin Of Safety:
-55.8%
📊 Click to view full LWAY valuation analysis →

Return Scenarios (2)

Theoretical 5-Year Return:
1.3%
📊 Click to view full LWAY expected return analysis →
Forward Expected Return (Yield + Growth):
22.6%
📊 Click to view full LWAY expected return analysis →

Investment Assessment (1)

Buffett Assessment:Overvalued
B. Log-Linear Regression Growth Analysis

Growth Rates (Log-Linear Regression) (3)

Revenue Growth Rate (Linear):16.4%
Net Income Growth Rate (Linear):6.4%
Operating Income Growth Rate (Linear):6.8%

Cash Flow Growth Rates (2)

Free Cash Flow Growth Rate (Linear):-5.8%
Operating Cash Flow Growth Rate (Linear):37.2%

Other Growth Rates (3)

Gross Profit Growth Rate (Linear):19.6%
Book Value Growth Rate (Linear):17.6%
Owner Earnings Growth Rate:$13.00
C. Company Profile & Context

Corporate Information (6)

Symbol:LWAY
Company Name:LIFEWAY FOODS, INC.
Sector:Consumer Staples
Industry:Food Processing
Exchange:NASDAQ
Country:United States

Market Classification (3)

Market Cap Category:N/A
Price Category:medium
Volume Category:N/A

Share Structure (3)

Shares Outstanding:15.16M
Shares Outstanding Basic:15.16M
Shares Outstanding Diluted:15.29M

Data Processing Info (3)

Processing Version:v3.0
Last Updated:2026-08-30 20:58:28 UTC
Data Timestamp:2026-08-17T23:06:06.227441
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