WW’s shares plummet as consumers take break from dieting

This is one crash weight loss program Oprah Winfrey gained’t like.

Shares of Winfrey’s WW International, the weight loss program firm previously referred to as Weight Watchers, plummeted by greater than 25 p.c on Wednesday after reporting a slowdown within the variety of individuals signing up for this system.

Subscriptions for the quarter ending July 3 fell 1.9 p.c to 4.9 million, whereas subscription and product gross sales fell 6.9 p.c, the corporate reported late Tuesday.

It’s a sudden turnabout for the New York-based firm, which had been driving excessive on a wave of shoppers decided to shed kilos and get again into form in the course of the pandemic.

Entertainment mogul Winfrey made a big private funding in WW in October 2015 and continues to carry inventory. She can also be the corporate’s spokesperson by way of 2025.

Exterior sign on a WW International studio location.
WW International’s subscriber progress is slowing down this summer time.
Christopher Sadowski for NY Post

WW’s executives blamed seasonal shifts, saying summer time is simply not a superb time for the weight loss program trade.

“Subscriber developments in Q2 adopted a extra typical seasonal sample than we anticipated, and our steering displays this development,” CFO Amy O’Keefe mentioned in a press release.

“While persons are acknowledging their want for re-committing to weight reduction and wellness, our current client analysis exhibits that in the meanwhile they’re additionally asking for a pause to take pleasure in social reconnection,” WW CEO Mindy Grossman informed buyers throughout a convention name Tuesday.

The stay-at-home development had been a boon for WW and different weight loss program corporations, together with Medifast and Noom.

Also dragging on the inventory, WW offered steering for income and revenue progress that was decrease than the analysts’ estimates, with revenues for the yr anticipated to “strategy” $1.3 billion. Analysts had estimated gross sales of $1.39 billion.

Earnings are projected to return in at $1.10 a share to $1.25 a share, in contrast with common estimate by analysts of $2.08 a share.

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