A $1 billion profit in its first quarter led to a surge in Amazon’s stock price at the end of April, giving the online giant a 11.1% increase in its share price last month. Led by Amazon, the Publishers Weekly Stock Index rose 8% in the month. Excluding Amazon, the PWSI increased by a much more modest 0.2%, almost equal to the 0.4% gain posted by the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Donnelley, which is in the process of splitting itself into three companies, had a 6.1% gain in its stock price in the month. Pearson had the biggest decline in its share price as the company continues to reorganize its business. Barnes & Noble stock price continued its recent history of volatility, dropping 4.9% in April after rising 27.4% in March. Late in April, B&N chairman Len Riggio said he plans to retire in September.
| Winners | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Company | Mar. 31 | Apr. 29 | % Change |
| Amazon | 593.64 | 659.59 | 11.1% |
| R.R. Donnelley | 16.40 | 17.40 | 6.1% |
| Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | 19.94 | 20.51 | 2.8% |
| CBS | 55.09 | 55.91 | 1.5% |
| John Wiley | 48.89 | 49.59 | 1.4% |
| Educational Dev. Corp. | 14.03 | 14.12 | 0.6% |
| Losers | |||
| Pearson | 12.54 | 11.74 | -6.3% |
| Barnes & Noble | 12.36 | 11.75 | -4.9% |
| Scholastic | 37.37 | 36.38 | -2.6% |
| News Corp | 13.25 | 12.96 | -2.2% |
| Publishers Weekly Stock Index | 823.51 | 889.95 | 8.0% |
| Dow Jones Aver. | 17,685.09 | 17,773.84 | 0.4% |
Source: Publishers Weekly
