Bull Of The Day: Weight Watchers

Sometimes all a company needs is a shot in the arm. The right spokesperson, the right idea, or the right marketing campaign can turn things around on a dime. Even the right activist investor can come and shake things up, getting a company going in the right direction. Well what happens when you get all of the above? It’s a recipe for success.

That’s why I was so excited for today’s Bull of the Day Weight Watchers (WTW -Snapshot Report) when the one and only Oprah announced she was joining the team. We’re not talking about some B-list celebrity here. We’re talking about Oprah Winfrey. She’s the woman who made Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz and countless other people household names. 

Enough raving about the Queen of Daytime TV, let’s get excited about Weight Watchers. The company provides weight management services worldwide. It offs a broad range of products and services comprising nutritional, exercise, behavioral and lifestyle tools and approaches. The company also engages in the meetings business, which presents weight management programs as well as allows members to support each other by sharing their experiences with other people experiencing similar challenges.

The company is a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) in an industry that’s in the Top 34% of our Zacks Industry Rank. A big reason for the favorable rank is the recent earnings estimate revisions analysts have made over the course of the last month. Two analysts have increased their current year estimates, increasing our Zacks Consensus Estimate from 84 cents to 98 cents.Next quarter’s numbers have gone from 41 cents to 51 cents, and next year’s numbers have jumped from $1.08 to $1.24.

The Oprah effect has certainly put a halo around the stock. The initial reaction to news of her involvement saw the stock rocket higher, nearly reaching $28 before selling to $10. The last several months the stock has bounced between $10 and $16. Since bottoming out in early May under $12 shares have rallied sharply to the top end of the range. The stock could be on the verge of a breakout right here.

Disclosure: Zacks.com contains statements and statistics that have ...

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