Weight Watchers Declares Quarterly Dividend

NEW YORK, March 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Weight Watchers International, Inc. (NYSE: WTW) today announced that its Board of Directors declared its quarterly cash dividend of $0.175 per share of common stock, which corresponds to an annual dividend rate of $0.70 per share.  This quarterly dividend will be payable on April 30, 2012 to shareholders of record at the close of business on April 23, 2012.

The Company has typically issued a quarterly cash dividend to shareholders of record at the end of each fiscal quarter.  The Board has selected the current record date to allow for the completion of its previously announced "modified Dutch auction" tender offer for up to $720,000,000 of its common stock and related share repurchase from Artal Sp. z o.o., Succursale de Luxembourg, the Company's majority shareholder.  The tender offer is scheduled to expire at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on Thursday, March 22, 2012, and the repurchase from Artal is expected to occur on the 11th business day following the expiration of the tender offer.

About Weight Watchers International, Inc.
Weight Watchers International, Inc. is the world's leading provider of weight management services, operating globally through a network of Company-owned and franchise operations. Weight Watchers holds over 45,000 meetings each week where members receive group support and learn about healthy eating patterns, behavior modification and physical activity. WeightWatchers.com provides innovative, subscription weight management products over the Internet and is the leading Internet-based weight management provider in the world. In addition, Weight Watchers offers a wide range of products, publications and programs for those interested in weight loss and weight control.

This news release and any attachments include "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including, in particular, earnings guidance and any statements about the Company's plans, strategies, prospects and "modified Dutch auction" tender offer and related share repurchase. The Company generally uses the words "may," "will," "could," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "plan," "intend" and similar expressions in this news release and any attachments to identify forward-looking statements. The Company bases these forward-looking statements on its current views with respect to future events and financial performance. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, among other things: competition from other weight management industry participants or the development of more effective or more favorably perceived weight management methods; the Company's ability to continue to develop innovative new services and products and enhance its existing services and products, or the failure of its services and products to continue to appeal to the market; the effectiveness of the Company's marketing and advertising programs; the success of the tender offer and related share repurchase; the Company's ability to arrange financing sufficient to fund the tender offer and related share repurchase and the terms on which such financing is raised; the impact on the Weight Watchers brand of actions taken by the Company's franchisees, licensees and suppliers; risks and uncertainties associated with the Company's international operations, including economic, political and social risks and foreign currency risks; the Company's ability to successfully make acquisitions or enter into joint ventures, including its ability to successfully integrate, operate or realize the projected benefits of such businesses; uncertainties related to a downturn in general economic conditions or consumer confidence; the seasonal nature of the Company's business; the impact of events that discourage people from gathering with others; the Company's ability to enforce its intellectual property rights both domestically and internationally, as well as the impact of its involvement in any claims related to intellectual property rights; uncertainties regarding the satisfactory operation of the Company's information technology or systems; the impact of security breaches or privacy concerns; the impact of disputes with the Company's franchise operators; the impact of existing and future laws and regulations; the impact of the Company's debt service obligations and restrictive debt covenants; the possibility that the interests of the Company's majority owner will conflict with the other holders of the Company's common stock; and other risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in the Company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. You should understand that many important factors, including those discussed herein, could cause the Company's results to differ materially from those expressed or suggested in any forward-looking statement. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect new information or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this news release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or otherwise. Readers are advised to review the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (which are available from the SEC's EDGAR database at www.sec.gov, at various SEC reference facilities in the United States and via the Company's website at www.weightwatchersinternational.com).

SOURCE Weight Watchers International, Inc.