WW’s membership flourishes again

Article Excerpt

WEIGHT WATCHERS INTERNATIONAL $28.94 (Nasdaq symbol WW; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (212-589-2700; www.ww.com; Shares o/s: 67.0 million; Market cap: $2.0 billion; No dividends paid) has expanded its weight-loss services to include “Wellness that works” programs. The move reflects the company’s goal of promoting healthy living, in general, rather than just weight loss. The stock fell over 33% in late February 2019 after Weight Watchers reported that its push to add members at the start of this year failed to meet its expectations. The company rebranded itself as WW last fall, and it may also have failed to effectively communicate the name change, as well as the value of its “Wellness that works” programs and their emphasis on lifestyle changes. Revenue in the three months ended June 30, 2019, fell 9.9%, to $369.0 million from $409.7 million a year earlier. Weight Watchers made $53.8 million, or $0.80 a share, in the latest quarter. That’s down 23.9% from $70.7 million, or $1.07. However, it beat…