VITL vs. LWAY

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vital Farms, Inc. (VITL) and Lifeway Foods, Inc. (LWAY).

Performance

VITL vs. LWAY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vital Farms, Inc. (VITL) and Lifeway Foods, Inc. (LWAY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VITL vs. LWAY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
VITL Vital Farms, Inc.	-58.05%	-15.26%	140.22%	5.16%	-17.39%	-28.64%	-28.22%
LWAY Lifeway Foods, Inc.	-6.23%	-2.30%	84.94%	141.62%	20.65%	-14.97%	87.20%

Fundamentals

EPS VITL : $1.44 LWAY : $1.35
PE Ratio VITL : 9.30 LWAY : 16.84
PEG Ratio VITL : 0.02 LWAY : 0.06
PS Ratio VITL : 0.81 LWAY : 1.10
Total Revenue (TTM) VITL : $759.44M LWAY : $212.50M
Gross Profit (TTM) VITL : $285.68M LWAY : $58.21M
EBITDA (TTM) VITL : $88.37M LWAY : $22.74M

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VITL achieves a -58.05% return, which is significantly lower than LWAY's -6.23% return.

VITL

• 1D: -5.10%
• 1M: -33.40%
• YTD: -58.05%
• 6M: -67.04%
• 1Y: -56.70%
• 3Y*: -4.32%
• 5Y*: -9.41%
• 10Y*: —

LWAY

• 1D: 17.48%
• 1M: 3.04%
• YTD: -6.23%
• 6M: -13.97%
• 1Y: -7.96%
• 3Y*: 55.52%
• 5Y*: 33.00%
• 10Y*: 7.96%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

VITL vs. LWAY — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

VITL

VITL Risk / Return Rank: 6
VITL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 3
VITL Sortino Ratio Rank: 3
VITL Omega Ratio Rank: 4
VITL Calmar Ratio Rank: 14
VITL Martin Ratio Rank: 5

LWAY

LWAY Risk / Return Rank: 32
LWAY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 32
LWAY Sortino Ratio Rank: 29
LWAY Omega Ratio Rank: 29
LWAY Calmar Ratio Rank: 36
LWAY Martin Ratio Rank: 36

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

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.

	VITL	LWAY	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-1.09	-0.19	-0.90
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-1.88	0.03	-1.91
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.79	1.00	-0.22
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.75	-0.15	-0.60
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-1.69	-0.30	-1.39
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VITL vs. LWAY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VITL Sharpe Ratio is -1.09, which is lower than the LWAY Sharpe Ratio of -0.19. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VITL and LWAY, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	VITL	LWAY	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-1.09	-0.19	-0.90
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.18	0.49	-0.67
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.12	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.30	0.17	-0.47

Correlation

The correlation between VITL and LWAY is 0.14, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

VITL vs. LWAY - Dividend Comparison

Neither VITL nor LWAY has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

VITL vs. LWAY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VITL drawdown since its inception was -80.31%, 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.

Drawdown Indicators

	VITL	LWAY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-80.31%	-93.15%	+12.84%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-75.18%	-47.37%	-27.81%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-75.18%	-60.45%	-14.73%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-91.85%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-74.43%	-32.82%	-41.61%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-46.27%	-44.22%	-2.05%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	33.17%	23.76%	+9.41%

Volatility

VITL vs. LWAY - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vital Farms, Inc. (VITL) is 14.31%, while Lifeway Foods, Inc. (LWAY) has a volatility of 21.31%. This indicates that VITL experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than LWAY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VITL	LWAY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	14.31%	21.31%	-7.00%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	39.07%	28.61%	+10.46%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	52.31%	42.67%	+9.64%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	52.31%	67.36%	-15.05%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	52.45%	68.44%	-15.99%

Financials

VITL vs. LWAY - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Vital Farms, Inc. and Lifeway Foods, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

VITL - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Vital Farms, Inc. reported a gross profit of 76.43M and revenue of 213.55M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 35.8%.

LWAY - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Lifeway Foods, Inc. reported a gross profit of 14.45M and revenue of 55.36M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 26.1%.

VITL - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Vital Farms, Inc. reported an operating income of 21.41M and revenue of 213.55M, resulting in an operating margin of 10.0%.

LWAY - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Lifeway Foods, Inc. reported an operating income of 3.76M and revenue of 55.36M, resulting in an operating margin of 6.8%.

VITL - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Vital Farms, Inc. reported a net income of 16.32M and revenue of 213.55M, resulting in a net margin of 7.6%.

LWAY - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Lifeway Foods, Inc. reported a net income of 2.54M and revenue of 55.36M, resulting in a net margin of 4.6%.