WW International Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NASDAQ:WW)

WW International, Inc. (NASDAQ:WW) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock investors purchased 17,056 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 1,502% compared to the average volume of 1,065 call options.

WW International Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WW opened at $1.96 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $0.88 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1.31. The company has a market capitalization of $156.27 million, a P/E ratio of -0.45 and a beta of 1.72. WW International has a 1-year low of $0.67 and a 1-year high of $13.26.

WW International (NASDAQ:WW) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.03 by ($0.16). The company had revenue of $202.07 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $210.89 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($0.04) earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that WW International will post -0.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WW has been the topic of several research reports. Barclays reissued an “underweight” rating and set a $0.75 price objective on shares of WW International in a research note on Thursday. Guggenheim dropped their price objective on WW International from $12.00 to $6.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Morgan Stanley cut shares of WW International from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $6.50 to $1.25 in a report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on WW International from $2.10 to $1.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, WW International has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $4.50.

Insider Transactions at WW International

In other WW International news, CEO Sima Sistani bought 65,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was bought at an average price of $0.75 per share, for a total transaction of $48,750.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 267,410 shares in the company, valued at $200,557.50. The trade was a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 8.12% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On WW International

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Connectus Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of WW International during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $127,000. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its stake in WW International by 52.1% during the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 47,409 shares of the company’s stock valued at $88,000 after purchasing an additional 16,244 shares in the last quarter. Empirical Capital Management LLC bought a new position in WW International during the first quarter valued at $185,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in shares of WW International by 229.7% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 113,427 shares of the company’s stock valued at $210,000 after acquiring an additional 79,026 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barometer Capital Management Inc. grew its position in WW International by 16.7% in the fourth quarter. Barometer Capital Management Inc. now owns 220,300 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,928,000 after acquiring an additional 31,600 shares in the last quarter. 86.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About WW International

WW International, Inc provides weight management products and services worldwide. It offers a range of nutritional, activity, behavioral, and lifestyle tools and approaches products and services. The company also provides various digital subscription products to wellness and weight management business, which provide interactive and personalized resources that allow users to follow its weight management program through its app and web-based platform; and allows members to inspire and support each other by sharing their experiences with other people on weight health journeys.