Lifeway Foods (FRA:LWF) Beneish M-Score: -2.32 (As of Jun. 25, 2026)


FRA:LWF Lifeway Foods Inc FRA:LWF
91 GF Score
Price €26.00
GF Value €21.78
Valuation Modestly Overvalued
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What is Lifeway Foods Beneish M-Score?

Lifeway Foods FRA:LWF +4.84% 91 Beneish M-Score is -2.32 as of Jun. 25, 2026. GuruFocus rates FRA:LWF with a GF Score™ of 91/100 and a GF Value™ of €21.78 (Modestly Overvalued). Among 1,849 Consumer Packaged Goods companies, Lifeway Foods ranks worse than 64.68% on this metric.

The zones of discrimination for M-Score is as such:

An M-Score of equal or less than -1.78 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.
An M-Score of greater than -1.78 signals that the company is likely to be a manipulator.

Good Sign:

Beneish M-Score -2.32 no higher than -1.78, which implies that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.

The historical rank and industry rank for Lifeway Foods's Beneish M-Score or its related term are showing as below:

FRA:LWF' s Beneish M-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -3.43   Med: -2.66   Max: -2.17
Current: -2.32

During the past 13 years, the highest Beneish M-Score of Lifeway Foods was -2.17. The lowest was -3.43. And the median was -2.66.


Lifeway Foods Beneish M-Score Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Lifeway Foods's Beneish M-Score can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

Lifeway Foods Beneish M-Score Chart

Lifeway Foods Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Beneish M-Score
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -2.37 -2.40 -2.77 -2.54 -2.48

Lifeway Foods Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
Beneish M-Score Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -2.69 -2.60 -2.45 -2.48 -2.32

FRA:LWF vs ENHA, NATR, USNA: Beneish M-Score Comparison

For the Packaged Foods subindustry, Lifeway Foods's Beneish M-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Beneish M-Score data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.


Lifeway Foods Beneish M-Score vs Consumer Packaged Goods Industry

For the Consumer Packaged Goods industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Lifeway Foods's Beneish M-Score distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Lifeway Foods's Beneish M-Score falls into.


FRA:LWF
91GF Score
Lifeway Foods Inc FRA:LWF
Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Lifeway Foods Beneish M-Score Calculation

The M-score was created by Professor Messod Beneish. Instead of measuring the bankruptcy risk (Altman Z-Score) or business trend (Piotroski F-Score), M-score can be used to detect the risk of earnings manipulation. This is the original research paper on M-score.

The M-Score Variables:

The M-score of Lifeway Foods for today is based on a combination of the following eight different indices:

M=-4.84+0.92 * DSRI+0.528 * GMI+0.404 * AQI+0.892 * SGI+0.115 * DEPI
=-4.84+0.92 * 1.143+0.528 * 0.9078+0.404 * 0.8362+0.892 * 1.1291+0.115 * 1.7093
-0.172 * SGAI+4.679 * TATA-0.327 * LVGI
-0.172 * 0.9875+4.679 * -0.005353-0.327 * 1.2918
=-2.38

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

This Year (Mar26) TTM:Last Year (Mar25) TTM:
Total Receivables was €19.9 Mil.
Revenue was 54.505 + 47.278 + 48.686 + 46.732 = €197.2 Mil.
Gross Profit was 15.009 + 13.12 + 13.98 + 13.352 = €55.5 Mil.
Total Current Assets was €36.9 Mil.
Total Assets was €104.2 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was €50.5 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was €3.5 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was €37.0 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was €17.3 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was €6.4 Mil.
Net Income was 4.043 + 2.17 + 3.007 + 3.684 = €12.9 Mil.
Non Operating Income was 0 + -0.021 + 0.062 + 0.119 = €0.2 Mil.
Cash Flow from Operations was 3.787 + 0.228 + 5.895 + 3.392 = €13.3 Mil.
Total Receivables was €15.4 Mil.
Revenue was 42.634 + 44.822 + 41.532 + 45.667 = €174.7 Mil.
Gross Profit was 10.207 + 11.362 + 10.692 + 12.332 = €44.6 Mil.
Total Current Assets was €43.8 Mil.
Total Assets was €86.6 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was €26.1 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was €3.3 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was €33.2 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was €15.1 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was €0.1 Mil.




1. DSRI = Days Sales in Receivables Index

Measured as the ratio of Revenue in Total Receivables in year t to year t-1.

A large increase in DSR could be indicative of revenue inflation.

DSRI=(Receivables_t / Revenue_t) / (Receivables_t-1 / Revenue_t-1)
=(19.917 / 197.201) / (15.433 / 174.655)
=0.100998 / 0.088363
=1.143

2. GMI = Gross Margin Index

Measured as the ratio of gross margin in year t-1 to gross margin in year t.

Gross margin has deteriorated when this index is above 1. A firm with poorer prospects is more likely to manipulate earnings.

GMI=GrossMargin_t-1 / GrossMargin_t
=(GrossProfit_t-1 / Revenue_t-1) / (GrossProfit_t / Revenue_t)
=(44.593 / 174.655) / (55.461 / 197.201)
=0.25532 / 0.281241
=0.9078

3. AQI = Asset Quality Index

AQI is the ratio of asset quality in year t to year t-1.

Asset quality is measured as the ratio of non-current assets other than Property, Plant and Equipment to Total Assets.

AQI=(1 - (CurrentAssets_t + PPE_t) / TotalAssets_t) / (1 - (CurrentAssets_t-1 + PPE_t-1) / TotalAssets_t-1)
=(1 - (36.91 + 50.513) / 104.237) / (1 - (43.825 + 26.104) / 86.642)
=0.161305 / 0.192897
=0.8362

4. SGI = Sales Growth Index

Ratio of Revenue in year t to sales in year t-1.

Sales growth is not itself a measure of manipulation. However, growth companies are likely to find themselves under pressure to manipulate in order to keep up appearances.

SGI=Sales_t / Sales_t-1
=Revenue_t / Revenue_t-1
=197.201 / 174.655
=1.1291

5. DEPI = Depreciation Index

Measured as the ratio of the rate of Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization in year t-1 to the corresponding rate in year t.

DEPI greater than 1 indicates that assets are being depreciated at a slower rate. This suggests that the firm might be revising useful asset life assumptions upwards, or adopting a new method that is income friendly.

DEPI=(Depreciation_t-1 / (Depreciaton_t-1 + PPE_t-1)) / (Depreciation_t / (Depreciaton_t + PPE_t))
=(3.273 / (3.273 + 26.104)) / (3.522 / (3.522 + 50.513))
=0.111414 / 0.06518
=1.7093

Note: If the Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization data is not available, we assume that the depreciation rate is constant and set the Depreciation Index to 1.

6. SGAI = Sales, General and Administrative expenses Index

The ratio of Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) to Sales in year t relative to year t-1.

SGA expenses index > 1 means that the company is becoming less efficient in generate sales.

SGAI=(SGA_t / Sales_t) / (SGA_t-1 /Sales_t-1)
=(36.993 / 197.201) / (33.178 / 174.655)
=0.18759 / 0.189963
=0.9875

7. LVGI = Leverage Index

The ratio of total debt to Total Assets in year t relative to yeat t-1.

An LVGI > 1 indicates an increase in leverage

LVGI=((LTD_t + CurrentLiabilities_t) / TotalAssets_t) / ((LTD_t-1 + CurrentLiabilities_t-1) / TotalAssets_t-1)
=((6.371 + 17.258) / 104.237) / ((0.063 + 15.141) / 86.642)
=0.226685 / 0.175481
=1.2918

8. TATA = Total Accruals to Total Assets

Total accruals calculated as the change in working capital accounts other than cash less depreciation.

TATA=(IncomefromContinuingOperations_t - CashFlowsfromOperations_t) / TotalAssets_t
=(NetIncome_t - NonOperatingIncome_t - CashFlowsfromOperations_t) / TotalAssets_t
=(12.904 - 0.16 - 13.302) / 104.237
=-0.005353

An M-Score of equal or less than -1.78 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator. An M-Score of greater than -1.78 signals that the company is likely to be a manipulator.

Lifeway Foods has a M-score of -2.38 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Beneish M-Score →
What does a Beneish M-Score of -2.32 mean?
Lifeway Foods (FRA:LWF) has a Beneish M-Score of -2.32 as of Jun. 25, 2026. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Lifeway Foods and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Lifeway Foods ranks #1196 out of 1849 companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, placing it in the top 64.7%.
Is Lifeway Foods' Beneish M-Score too high?
Lifeway Foods' current Beneish M-Score is -2.32. Based on the distribution chart, Lifeway Foods ranks #1196 out of 1849 companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Lifeway Foods has a GF Score™ of 91/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Lifeway Foods' Beneish M-Score compare to ENHA and NATR?
According to the Consumer Packaged Goods industry distribution chart, Lifeway Foods ranks #1196 out of 1849 companies for Beneish M-Score. This places Lifeway Foods in the lower half of its industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Beneish M-Score for a Consumer Packaged Goods company?
A good Beneish M-Score depends on the Consumer Packaged Goods industry context. However, Beneish M-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Beneish M-Score mean?
A high Beneish M-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Lifeway Foods and its competitors. Lifeway Foods's current Beneish M-Score is -2.32. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Lifeway Foods stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Lifeway Foods (FRA:LWF) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is €21.78, compared to a current price of €26.00 — trading 19.4% above its estimated fair value. The current Beneish M-Score is -2.32. Lifeway Foods' overall GF Score™ is 91/100. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Beneish M-Score calculated?
Beneish M-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Lifeway Foods (FRA:LWF), the current Beneish M-Score is -2.32 as of Jun. 25, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

Is Lifeway Foods (FRA:LWF) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Lifeway Foods stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of €26.00 is trading 19.4% above its estimated GF Value™ of €21.78. GuruFocus considers Lifeway Foods to be Modestly Overvalued.

Key valuation signals for FRA:LWF:

  • Beneish M-Score: -2.32
  • GF Value™: €21.78 vs. price of €26.00 (19.4% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 91/100

No single metric tells the full story. See the FRA:LWF stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


Lifeway Foods Business Description

Other Exchanges LWAY:USA
Address 6431 West Oakton Street, Morton Grove, IL, USA, 60053
Lifeway Foods Inc is engaged in manufacturing probiotic, cultured, functional dairy health food products. Its primary product is drinkable kefir, which is a cultured dairy product. Its product categories are Drinkable Kefir, which is the key revenue-driving product, European-style soft cheeses, Cream, ProBugs, Frozen Kefir, and Other dairy. The company manufactures and markets products under the Lifeway and Fresh Made brand names, as well as under private labels on behalf of customers. It sells the products through a direct sales force, brokers, and distributors.
91GF Score

Get the complete analysis for FRA:LWF

Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

€26.00
Price
€21.78
GF Value