Some might remember that Oprah purchased a 10% stake in the company back in October, which also sent shares soaring at the time.
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On a per-pound basis, that’s $2.36 million of profits gained for each pound lost.
In a world with fitness apps, an endless array of food fads and a general cultural shift away from conventional dieting, Weight Watchers has never faced tougher competition. “But I am excited about Weight Watchers being able to bring a healthier, more holistic approach for everybody”, she told Ellen.
Shares of New York-based Weight Watchers International Inc rose nearly 20 per cent in afternoon trading, but they are still down about 21 per cent from a year ago. The investment by the media mogul doubled the price of Weight Watchers stock to $15 shortly after the announcement in October. Winfrey states emphatically in the video. We can tweet about bread all day. “Inside every overweight woman is a woman she knows she can be”.
However, “short selling” a stock can be risky, especially when a popular celebrity spokesperson is suddenly slimmer.
Weight Watchers CEO Jim Chambers said back in November (when the company last reported earnings) that it did notice a big increase in the number of visitors to its web site, thanks to Oprah. Winfrey is a natural fit for the company: Her struggle with weight was a frequent topic of her former talk show.
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Winfrey posted the ad online Tuesday to her almost 31 million Twitter followers.
