The Publishers Weekly Stock Index inched up 0.5% in August, besting the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which had a 0.2% dip in the month. However, without the $10.35-per-share increase posted by Amazon, the PWSI would have fallen 2.4%. There were five winners and five losers in the month. The company that had the largest decline was Barnes & Noble, whose share price dropped 12.3%. Investors were unnerved when the retailer abruptly dismissed CEO Ron Boire early in August after less than one year on the job. News Corp, the parent company of HarperCollins, had the biggest increase in its share price among the stocks on the PWSI. The company’s shares have trended upward since early in August after News reported a better-than-expected final quarter to the fiscal year ended June 30.
Winners
| Company | Jul. 29 | Aug. 31 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| News Corp | 13.44 | 14.43 | 7.4% |
| R.R. Donnelley | 17.92 | 17.10 | 4.6% |
| Amazon | 758.81 | 769.16 | 1.3% |
| John Wiley | 57.70 | 58.13 | 0.7% |
| Scholastic | 41.10 | 40.26 | 0.4% |
Losers
| Company | Jul. 29 | Aug. 31 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBS | 52.22 | 51.03 | -2.3% |
| Pearson | 11.69 | 11.36 | -2.8% |
| Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | 16.95 | 15.95 | -5.9% |
| Barnes & Noble | 13.08 | 11.46 | -12.3% |
| Publishers Weekly | |||
| Stock Index | 996.37 | 1,000.97 | 0.5% |
| Dow Jones Aver. | 18,432.24 | 18,400.88 | -0.2% |
Source: Publishers Weekly
