Oprah Winfrey's Golden Globes speech sends Weight Watchers stock soaring

• Weight Watchers shares shot up more than 12 percent.
• Oprah's Golden Globes speech went viral.
• Rumors of a presidential bid in 2020 set the internet ablaze.

Oprah Winfrey accepts the 2018 Cecil B. DeMille Award speaks onstage during the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California.

NBC

Oprah Winfrey's speech at the Golden Globes sent investors running toward Weight Watchers stock.

Shares of Weight Watchers climbed nearly 14 percent at their height on Monday, topping out at about $53.60 apiece.

Winfrey, a significant shareholder as well as the weight loss company's de facto icon, accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award Sunday night at the 75th annual Golden Globe awards.

The video of Winfrey's speech, which explored issues of race, gender and other social and political hot buttons, went viral. Despite a backstage denial by Winfrey, her speech and subsequent reports fueled speculation that she may be considering a presidential run in 2020.

Brain Stelter tweet

Oprah has made Weight Watchers an investor magnet since buying a 10 percent stake in the company over two years ago. Her $43 million initial investment of 6.4 million shares in October 2015 more than doubled Weight Watchers stock that same day.

Since then, Winfrey's investment has accumulated value close to $300 million, and the overall stock has shot up more than 350 percent year-to-date.