Weight Watchers Loss Is a Gain for Investors

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By Chris Lange Updated Published
Weight Watchers Loss Is a Gain for Investors

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When Weight Watchers International Inc. (NASDAQ: WW) reported its most recent quarterly results after the markets closed on Thursday, it posted a net loss of $0.16 per share and $363.2 million in revenue. Consensus estimates had called for a net loss of $0.26 per share and $366 million in revenue for the fiscal second quarter, and the same period of last year reportedly had earnings of $0.56 per share and revenue of $408.2 million.

During the latest quarter, subscribers increased 0.9% over the prior year period, primarily due to the higher subscriber level at the start of fiscal 2019 compared with the start of last year. Digital Subscribers were up 7.2% and End of Period Studio + Digital Subscribers were down 10.4%.

Total paid weeks in the first week were up 4.2% year over year. Digital Paid Weeks increased 12.2% and Studio + Digital Paid Weeks decreased 8.6%.

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Looking ahead to the 2019 full year, the company expects to see EPS in the range of $1.35 to $1.55 and revenues of $1.4 billion.

Mindy Grossman, president and CEO, commented:

Trends improved sequentially throughout the quarter, resulting in 4.6 million subscribers at quarter end, up 1% year-over-year. We are confident that our strategy to focus on providing holistic wellness solutions leveraging our best-in-class weight management program is the right path to support long-term sustainable growth.

Shares of Weight Watchers were last seen up almost 19% at $24.14 on Friday, in a 52-week range of $17.58 to $20.70. The consensus price target is $28.09.

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Photo of Chris Lange
About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

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