=WW (WTW) reported earnings on Tue 26 Feb 19 (a/h)

• Weight Watchers (NASDAQ:WTW) begins trading under its new ticker symbol WW on April 22. The company has also rebranded its corporate identity to WW to fall in line with its transition to a global wellness company.

WW beats by $0.03, misses on revs; guides FY19 EPS below consensus, revs below consensus

• Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.63 per share, $0.03 better than the S&P Capital IQ Consensus of $0.60; revenues rose 5.7% year/year to $330.4 mln vs the $346.99 mln S&P Capital IQ Consensus.
• Co issues downside guidance for FY19, sees EPS of $1.25-1.50 vs. $3.38 S&P Capital IQ Consensus; sees FY19 revs of $1.4 bln vs. $1.66 bln S&P Capital IQ Consensus.

"While we are proud of our accomplishments in 2018, we had a soft start to 2019 versus last year's strong performance with the launch of WW Freestyle. Given our Winter Campaign did not recruit as expected, we have been focused on improving member recruitment trends. We quickly moved to course correct, including introducing new creative with a stronger call-to-action and further optimizing our media mix.... Looking ahead, I'm happy to say that Oprah Winfrey will play a central role in our upcoming TV and digital marketing campaign for Spring, bringing to life a clear message on how WW is the program that works.... However, due to the soft start to the key Winter Season, we expect member recruitment for 2019 to be below 2018 levels, resulting in lower revenue and earnings for the year. We are focused on driving member recruitment and exercising strict cost discipline, while continuing to invest in the areas that will drive future growth."