The Publishers Weekly Stock Index closed at 942.02 on June 30, a 5% increase over the Dec. 31, 2015, value. The gain beat the 2.9% rise posted by the Dow Jones Industrial Average over the same period. Although Amazon’s stock rose a relatively modest 5.9% in the six-month period, in terms of dollars the online retailer’s share price jumped by $39.73, closing at $715.62, not too far off of its 52-week high of $731.50.
Excluding Amazon, the PWSI rose 2.5% in the first six months of 2016, almost exactly in line with the increase in the Dow. Barnes & Noble’s stock price had a bumpy first half of the year, but its 30.3% rise in the January–June period made it the top performer on the PWSI. The retailer had a mixed financial record in the first part of 2016, but investors appear to believe the country has room for one national bookstore chain. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s stock price had the worst performance in the first half of 2016, as the company looks to find its footing in the quickly changing educational marketplace.
Industry Stocks: January-June Performances
| Company | Dec. 31, 2015 | June. 30, 2016 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes & Noble | 8.71 | 11.35 | 30.3% |
| Pearson | 10.78 | 12.99 | 23.3% |
| John Wiley | 45.03 | 52.18 | 15.9% |
| CBS | 47.13 | 54.44 | 15.5% |
| R.R. Donnelley | 14.72 | 16.92 | 14.9% |
| Educational Dev. Corp. | 11.07 | 11.61 | 14.9% |
| Amazon | 675.89 | 715.62 | 5.9% |
| Scholastic | 38.56 | 39.61 | 2.7% |
| News Corp | 13.96 | 11.67 | -16.4% |
| Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | 21.78 | 15.63 | -28.2% |
| Publishers Weekly Stock Index | 896.68 | 942.02 | 5.0% |
| Dow Jones Average | 17,425.03 | 17,929.99 | 2.9% |
Source: Publishers Weekly
