Lifeway reports record first-quarter earnings
Lifeway Foods Inc. announced net sales of $63 million, up 36.7% year-over-year; gross profit margin: 27.5%, up 360 basis points from 23.9% last year; and net Income: $4.7 million, or $0.31 per basic and $0.30 per diluted common share, compared to a net income of $3.5 million, or $0.23 per basic and diluted common share in the prior year. All were for its fiscal first quarter ending March 31.
"We kicked off 2026 with a blowout quarter that demonstrates the extraordinary momentum we've built across our business," said Julie Smolyansky, president and CEO of Lifeway Foods. "We far exceeded our previous record with net sales of $63.0 million, up 37% year-over-year, surpassing sixty million in quarterly net sales for the first time and marking our 26th consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth. This exceptional top-line performance was accompanied by sizeable gross margin expansion of 360 basis points year-over-year, and equally strong net income growth of 32% that reflects a clean flow-through from our significant sales growth down to the bottom line. We are investing meaningfully behind our core products to support our rapid growth, and we continue to see impressive velocity acceleration. We also leveraged our SG&A by 300 basis points this quarter, demonstrating the increasing return and effectiveness of our investments."
Lifeway recently announced strategic partnerships, experiential marketing initiatives, and product innovation designed to elevate the brand's visibility and engage health-conscious consumers nationwide.
- The Company partnered with Erewhon to launch the Tropical Lifeway Smoothie, made with Organic Lifeway Kefir, offering the ultimate summer refreshment reminiscent of a creamy frozen lemonade while delivering the added benefits of probiotics and protein.
- The Company hosted a retro-inspired Wellness House in Palm Springs during festival weekend, bringing together media, influencers, tastemakers and wellness enthusiasts for a celebration of Lifeway's legacy and continued role in shaping the modern wellness conversation.
- The Company celebrated forty years of Kefir leadership with new cultured dairy innovations at Expo West 2026, showcasing its Lifeway Muscle Mates™ and Lifeway Kefir Butter.
"We believe Lifeway is uniquely positioned at the intersection of numerous consumer tailwinds with our on-trend, functional product offerings. The consumer focus on health and wellness continues to increase, gut-health awareness is spreading and demand from GLP-1 users seeking nutrient-dense, probiotic foods is particularly strong. We address each of these trends with our flagship Lifeway Kefir and high-protein Lifeway Farmer Cheese, while continuing to build a pipeline of innovative products, including Muscle Mates with creatine and probiotic Kefir Butter. Together, these offerings bring new excitement to the category and expand our reach across the cultured dairy landscape. We are very excited about our trajectory and confident in our ability to execute throughout 2026 as we further capitalize on the growing consumer demand in our space," Smolyansky said.
The company reiterated its long-term target of $45 to $50 million in Adjusted EBITDA for FY 2027 and believes it is well positioned to deliver the strongest annual sales in Company history in FY 2026.
"Our momentum continues to build as we drive sustainable, profitable growth across the business," Smolyansky concluded. "We have laid a foundation for durable, long-term value creation, and believe the investments we are making today in manufacturing capacity, marketing and innovation position us exceptionally well to capitalize on the tremendous opportunities ahead."
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