Lifeway Foods (FRA:LWF) Operating Income: €18.0 Mil (TTM As of Mar. 2026)

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FRA:LWF Lifeway Foods Inc FRA:LWF
85 GF Score
Price €26.40
GF Value €22.13
Valuation Modestly Overvalued
! 1 Warning Sign
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What is Lifeway Foods Operating Income?

Lifeway Foods FRA:LWF 85 Operating Income is €18.0 Mil as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus rates FRA:LWF with a GF Score™ of 85/100 and a GF Value™ of €22.13 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 1 warning sign investors should review.

Lifeway Foods's Operating Income for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was €5.5 Mil. Its Operating Income for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 was €18.0 Mil.

Operating Margin % is calculated as Operating Income divided by its Revenue. Lifeway Foods's Operating Income for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was €5.5 Mil. Lifeway Foods's Revenue for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was €54.5 Mil. Therefore, Lifeway Foods's Operating Margin % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 10.04%.

Good Sign:

Lifeway Foods Inc operating margin is expanding. Margin expansion is usually a good sign.

Lifeway Foods's 5-Year average Growth Rate for Operating Margin % was 16.50% per year.

Operating Income or EBIT is linked to Return on Capital for both regular definition and Joel Greenblatt's definition. Lifeway Foods's annualized ROC % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 21.29%. Lifeway Foods's annualized ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 36.62%.


Lifeway Foods  (FRA:LWF) Operating Income Explanation

1. Operating Income or EBIT is linked to Return on Capital for both regular definition and Joel Greenblatt's definition.

Lifeway Foods's annualized ROC % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as:

ROC % (Q: Mar. 2026 )
=NOPAT/Average Invested Capital
=Operating Income * ( 1 - Tax Rate % )/( (Invested Capital (Q: Dec. 2025 ) + Invested Capital (Q: Mar. 2026 ))/ count )
=21.884 * ( 1 - 25.3% )/( (71.314 + 82.241)/ 2 )
=16.347348/76.7775
=21.29 %

where

Note: The Operating Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) data.

2. Joel Greenblatt's definition of Return on Capital:

Lifeway Foods's annualized ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as:

ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %(Q: Mar. 2026 )
=EBIT/Average of (Net fixed Assets + Net Working Capital)
=EBIT/Average of (Property, Plant and Equipment+Net Working Capital)
     Q: Dec. 2025  Q: Mar. 2026
=EBIT/( ( (Property, Plant and Equipment + Net Working Capital) + (Property, Plant and Equipment + Net Working Capital) )/ count )
=21.884/( ( (41.63 + max(12.491, 0)) + (50.513 + max(14.88, 0)) )/ 2 )
=21.884/( ( 54.121 + 65.393 )/ 2 )
=21.884/59.757
=36.62 %

where Working Capital is:

Working Capital(Q: Dec. 2025 )
=(Accounts Receivable + Total Inventories + Other Current Assets) - (Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense + Defer. Rev. + Other Current Liabilities)
=(14.213 + 10.154 + 2.243) - (14.119 + 0 + 1.7763568394003E-15)
=12.491

Working Capital(Q: Mar. 2026 )
=(Accounts Receivable + Total Inventories + Other Current Assets) - (Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense + Defer. Rev. + Other Current Liabilities)
=(19.882 + 9.906 + 2.24) - (17.149 + 0 + -0.0010000000000012)
=14.88

When net working capital is negative, 0 is used.

Note: The EBIT data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBIT data.

3. Operating Income is also linked to Operating Margin %:

Lifeway Foods's Operating Margin % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as:

Operating Margin %=Operating Income (Q: Mar. 2026 )/Revenue (Q: Mar. 2026 )
=5.471/54.505
=10.04 %

* 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.

4. Please click Growth Rate Calculation Example (GuruFocus) to see how GuruFocus calculates Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT)'s revenue growth rate. You can apply the same method to get the Operating Income growth rate using Operating Income per share data.


Be Aware

Compared with a company's EBITDA margin, Operating Margin can be manipulated by adjusting the rate of depreciation, depletion and amortization (DDA).

If a company is facing competition, its Operating Margin may decline. Often the Operating Margin declines well before the company's revenue or even profit decline. Therefore, Operating Margin is a very important indicator of whether the company is facing problems.

For instance, by 2012, Nokia (NOK)'s problems were well known and its stock had lost more than 90% of its market value since 2007. But Nokia's Operating Margin had already been in decline since 2002, although its earnings per share were still rising. Investors who paid attention to Operating Margin would have avoided this huge loss. The same can be said for Research-in-Motion (RIMM).

Therefore, Operating Margin is a very important screening filter for GuruFocus. GuruFocus's Buffett-Munger screener requires that the profit margin is either consistent or expanding. The Model Portfolio of the Buffett-Munger screener has outperformed the market every year since inception in 2009.


Lifeway Foods Operating Income Related Terms


Lifeway Foods Operating Income Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Lifeway Foods's Operating Income 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 Operating Income Chart

Lifeway Foods Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Operating Income
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 5.20 2.22 15.58 13.23 13.81

Lifeway Foods Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
Operating Income 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 1.46 5.02 4.29 3.21 5.47
FRA:LWF
85GF Score
Lifeway Foods Inc FRA:LWF
Operating Income is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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Lifeway Foods Operating Income Calculation

Operating Income, is the profit a company earned through operations. All expenses, including cash expenses such as cost of goods sold (COGS), research & development, wages, and non-cash expenses, such as depreciation, depletion and amortization, have been deducted from the sales.

Operating Income for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 adds up the quarterly data reported by the company within the most recent 12 months, which was €18.0 Mil.

* 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.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Operating Income →
What does a Operating Income of €18.0 Mil mean?
Lifeway Foods (FRA:LWF) has a Operating Income of €18.0 Mil as of Mar. 2026. Operating Income equals sales less all operating expenses. It is linked to EBIT. View historical data on Lifeway Foods and its competitors.
Is Lifeway Foods' Operating Income too high?
Lifeway Foods' current Operating Income is €18.0 Mil. Overall, Lifeway Foods has a GF Score™ of 85/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Lifeway Foods' Operating Income compare to USNA and NATR?
Lifeway Foods' Operating Income of €18.0 Mil can be compared against companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Operating Income for a Consumer Packaged Goods company?
A good Operating Income depends on the Consumer Packaged Goods industry context. However, Operating Income 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 Operating Income mean?
A high Operating Income can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Operating Income equals sales less all operating expenses. It is linked to EBIT. View historical data on Lifeway Foods and its competitors. Lifeway Foods's current Operating Income is €18.0 Mil. 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 €22.13, compared to a current price of €26.40 — trading 19.3% above its estimated fair value. The current Operating Income is €18.0 Mil. Lifeway Foods' overall GF Score™ is 85/100 with 1 warning sign to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Operating Income calculated?
Operating Income is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Lifeway Foods (FRA:LWF), the current Operating Income is €18.0 Mil as of Mar. 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 €26.40 is trading 19.3% above its estimated GF Value™ of €22.13. GuruFocus considers Lifeway Foods to be Modestly Overvalued.

Key valuation signals for FRA:LWF:

  • Operating Income: €18.0 Mil
  • GF Value™: €22.13 vs. price of €26.40 (19.3% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 85/100 with 1 warning sign

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.
85GF Score

Get the complete analysis for FRA:LWF

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

€26.40
Price
€22.13
GF Value