VITL vs. LWAY
VITL (Vital Farms, Inc.) and LWAY (Lifeway Foods, Inc.) are both stocks. Both are in the Consumer Defensive sector — VITL in Farm Products, LWAY in Packaged Foods. Over the past 5 years, VITL returned -14.02%/yr vs 37.49%/yr for LWAY. At a 0.15 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
VITL vs. LWAY - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VITL achieves a -68.44% return, which is significantly lower than LWAY's 9.08% return.
VITL
- 1D
- -3.17%
- 1M
- -0.49%
- YTD
- -68.44%
- 6M
- -69.15%
- 1Y
- -72.18%
- 3Y*
- -8.55%
- 5Y*
- -14.02%
- 10Y*
- —
LWAY
- 1D
- 3.93%
- 1M
- 5.01%
- YTD
- 9.08%
- 6M
- 8.90%
- 1Y
- 7.79%
- 3Y*
- 55.90%
- 5Y*
- 37.49%
- 10Y*
- 11.34%
VITL vs. LWAY - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VITL Vital Farms, Inc. | -68.44% | -15.26% | 140.22% | 5.16% | -17.39% | -28.64% | -27.69% |
LWAY Lifeway Foods, Inc. | 9.08% | -2.30% | 84.94% | 141.62% | 20.65% | -14.97% | 88.17% |
Correlation
The correlation between VITL and LWAY is 0.18, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.18 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.15 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.16 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 31, 2020 | 0.15 |
Fundamentals
VITL:
$1.05
LWAY:
$1.29
VITL:
9.62
LWAY:
20.44
VITL:
0.02
LWAY:
0.07
VITL:
0.59
LWAY:
1.34
VITL:
$784.41M
LWAY:
$229.42M
VITL:
$276.18M
LWAY:
$65.44M
VITL:
$82.41M
LWAY:
$24.15M
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Return for Risk
VITL vs. LWAY — Risk / Return Rank
VITL
LWAY
VITL vs. LWAY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vital Farms, Inc. (VITL) and Lifeway Foods, Inc. (LWAY). 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.
| VITL | LWAY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.36 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.96 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.72 | 1.08 | -0.36 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.86 | 0.17 | -1.02 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -1.46 | 0.29 | -1.75 |
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Drawdowns
VITL vs. LWAY - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VITL drawdown since its inception was -84.20%, smaller than the maximum LWAY drawdown of -93.15%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VITL and LWAY.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VITL | LWAY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -84.20% | -93.15% | +8.95% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -84.20% | -47.37% | -36.83% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -84.20% | -60.45% | -23.75% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -84.20% | -60.45% | -23.75% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -91.85% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -80.77% | -21.85% | -58.92% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -47.45% | -44.08% | -3.37% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 49.47% | 26.60% | +22.87% |
Volatility
VITL vs. LWAY - Volatility Comparison
Vital Farms, Inc. (VITL) has a higher volatility of 15.22% compared to Lifeway Foods, Inc. (LWAY) at 9.51%. This indicates that VITL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than LWAY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VITL | LWAY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 15.22% | 9.51% | +5.71% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 48.01% | 30.60% | +17.41% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 61.32% | 44.51% | +16.81% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 54.18% | 66.84% | -12.66% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 53.68% | 68.56% | -14.88% |
Dividends
VITL vs. LWAY - Dividend Comparison
Neither VITL nor LWAY has paid dividends to shareholders.
Financials
VITL vs. LWAY - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Vital Farms, Inc. and Lifeway Foods, 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
VITL vs. LWAY - Profitability Comparison
VITL - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 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 - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 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 - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 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 - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 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 - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Vital Farms, Inc. reported a net income of -1.52M and revenue of 187.16M, resulting in a net margin of -0.8%.
LWAY - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Lifeway Foods, Inc. reported a net income of 4.67M and revenue of 63.01M, resulting in a net margin of 7.4%.
Frequently Asked Questions
VITL and LWAY have a correlation of 0.18, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
VITL has higher volatility (15.22%) compared to LWAY (9.51%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VITL dropped -84.20% vs LWAY's -93.15%.
LWAY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.18 vs -1.18), 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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