LWAY vs. VITL
LWAY (Lifeway Foods, Inc.) and VITL (Vital Farms, Inc.) are both stocks. Both are in the Consumer Defensive sector — LWAY in Packaged Foods, VITL in Farm Products. Over the past 5 years, LWAY returned 36.22%/yr vs -6.07%/yr for VITL. Their 0.14 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship.
Performance
LWAY vs. VITL - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, LWAY achieves a 22.91% return, which is significantly higher than VITL's -60.14% return.
LWAY
- 1D
- -3.84%
- 1M
- -3.75%
- 6M
- 35.18%
- YTD
- 22.91%
- 1Y
- 10.79%
- 3Y*
- 66.86%
- 5Y*
- 36.22%
- 10Y*
- 11.61%
- ALL TIME*
- 12.52%
VITL
- 1D
- 1.76%
- 1M
- -0.24%
- 6M
- -55.25%
- YTD
- -60.14%
- 1Y
- -63.91%
- 3Y*
- 5.95%
- 5Y*
- -6.07%
- 10Y*
- —
- ALL TIME*
- -15.52%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3.30M | $5.13M | $4.93M | |
| $18.74M | $19.63M | $30.04M |
LWAY vs. VITL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LWAY Lifeway Foods, Inc. | 22.91% | -2.30% | 84.94% | 141.62% | 20.65% | -14.97% | 88.17% |
VITL Vital Farms, Inc. | -60.14% | -15.26% | 140.22% | 5.16% | -17.39% | -28.64% | -27.69% |
Correlation
The correlation between LWAY and VITL is 0.14, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.14 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.13 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.15 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 31, 2020 | 0.15 |
Fundamentals
LWAY:
$455.09M
VITL:
$545.46M
LWAY:
$1.45
VITL:
$1.05
LWAY:
20.52
VITL:
12.13
LWAY:
0.07
VITL:
0.02
LWAY:
1.34
VITL:
0.74
LWAY:
$229.42M
VITL:
$784.41M
LWAY:
$65.44M
VITL:
$276.18M
LWAY:
$24.15M
VITL:
$82.41M
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Return for Risk
LWAY vs. VITL — Risk / Return Rank
LWAY
VITL
LWAY vs. VITL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Lifeway Foods, Inc. (LWAY) and Vital Farms, Inc. (VITL). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| LWAY | VITL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.44 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +2.73 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.12 | 0.78 | +0.34 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.38 | -0.78 | +1.17 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 0.68 | -1.18 | +1.86 |
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Drawdowns
LWAY vs. VITL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum LWAY drawdown since its inception was -93.15%, which is greater than VITL's maximum drawdown of -84.20%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LWAY and VITL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| LWAY | VITL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -93.15% | -84.20% | -8.95% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -47.37% | -84.20% | +36.83% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -60.45% | -84.20% | +23.75% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -60.45% | -84.20% | +23.75% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -91.85% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -11.95% | -75.71% | +63.76% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -43.96% | -47.98% | +4.02% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 26.79% | 55.54% | -28.75% |
Volatility
LWAY vs. VITL - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Lifeway Foods, Inc. (LWAY) is 11.12%, while Vital Farms, Inc. (VITL) has a volatility of 16.75%. This indicates that LWAY experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VITL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| LWAY | VITL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 11.12% | 16.75% | -5.63% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 32.52% | 49.48% | -16.96% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 45.75% | 63.27% | -17.52% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 66.35% | 54.69% | +11.66% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 68.47% | 53.80% | +14.67% |
Dividends
LWAY vs. VITL - Dividend Comparison
Neither LWAY nor VITL has paid dividends to shareholders.
Financials
LWAY vs. VITL - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Lifeway Foods, Inc. and Vital Farms, Inc.. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
LWAY vs. VITL - Profitability Comparison
LWAY - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Lifeway Foods, Inc. reported a gross profit of 17.35M and revenue of 63.01M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 27.5%.
VITL - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Vital Farms, Inc. reported a gross profit of 53.01M and revenue of 187.16M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 28.3%.
LWAY - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Lifeway Foods, Inc. reported an operating income of 6.33M and revenue of 63.01M, resulting in an operating margin of 10.0%.
VITL - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Vital Farms, Inc. reported an operating income of -2.33M and revenue of 187.16M, resulting in an operating margin of -1.3%.
LWAY - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Lifeway Foods, Inc. reported a net income of 4.67M and revenue of 63.01M, resulting in a net margin of 7.4%.
VITL - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Vital Farms, Inc. reported a net income of -1.52M and revenue of 187.16M, resulting in a net margin of -0.8%.
Frequently Asked Questions
LWAY and VITL have a correlation of 0.14, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
VITL has higher volatility (16.75%) compared to LWAY (11.12%). In terms of maximum drawdown, LWAY dropped -93.15% vs VITL's -84.20%.
LWAY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.40 vs -1.04), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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