Weight Watchers Surges as Oprah Ads Lure Dieters to Programs
- Company forecast earnings for 2017 that exceeded estimates
- Diet competitor Nutrisystem posted strong results this week
Weight Watchers International Inc. food products in New York on Feb. 23, 2016.
Photographer: Michael Nagle/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Weight Watchers International Inc., the diet company backed by Oprah Winfrey, surged on Wednesday after the company issued a better-than-expected profit forecast for 2017 and added subscribers for the fourth consecutive quarter.
The shares jumped as much as 38 percent to $19.86 in New York, the biggest intraday increase since November 2015. The stock had already gained 26 percent this year through the close of trading Tuesday.