WW International, Inc. (NASDAQ:WW) Short Interest Up 34.7% in April

Key Points

• Short interest jumped 34.7% in April to 1,847,108 shares, equal to about 2.5% of shares outstanding and a short-interest ratio of 4.4 days.
• WW beat the most recent quarter's estimates, reporting EPS of ($0.58) vs. a ($0.94) consensus and revenue of $161.45M vs. $149.8M, though analysts still forecast about -0.06 EPS for the year.
• Shares opened at $10.51 and trade well below the 50- and 200-day moving averages ($16.68 and $23.34); the company has a market cap near $105M and ~86.2% institutional ownership.

WW International, Inc. (NASDAQ:WW - Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 1,847,108 shares, an increase of 34.7% from the March 31st total of 1,370,991 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 423,615 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.4 days. Currently, 2.5% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently commented on WW shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of WW International in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of WW International from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, WW International currently has an average rating of "Reduce".

WW International Stock Up 13.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:WW opened at $10.51 on Tuesday. The company's 50 day moving average price is $16.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $23.34. WW International has a 12-month low of $8.91 and a 12-month high of $46.95. The firm has a market cap of $105.07 million, a PE ratio of -1.82 and a beta of 1.30.

WW International (NASDAQ:WW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 16th. The company reported ($0.58) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.94) by $0.36. The firm had revenue of $161.45 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $149.80 million. On average, research analysts expect that WW International will post -0.06 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of WW International

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WW. Covestor Ltd bought a new stake in shares of WW International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $101,000. Claret Asset Management Corp bought a new stake in shares of WW International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $280,000. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL bought a new stake in shares of WW International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $528,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of WW International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $623,000. Finally, Quinn Opportunity Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of WW International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,010,000. Institutional investors own 86.18% of the company's stock.

About WW International

WW International, Inc NASDAQ: WW is a global wellness and weight management company that provides a range of subscription-based programs, digital tools and personalized coaching services. Originally founded in 1963 by Jean Nidetch as a small support group in New York City, the company grew into the well-known Weight Watchers brand before rebranding as WW in 2018 to reflect an expanded focus on overall health, fitness and nutrition. Over the years, WW has introduced innovations such as the SmartPoints® system, which assigns values to foods based on their nutritional composition, and the MyWW® personalized wellness plan, which tailors recommendations to individual lifestyles and goals.

WW's offerings span digital and in-person channels.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.