Company February 28 March 28 % Change
March was an outstanding month for the Publishers Weekly Stock Index, with the stock prices of 18 companies increasing in the month, while falling at only two companies; Barnes & Noble's stock price held even at $30.99. With 18 winners, the PWSI was up 6.8% in March compared to a 2.9% increase for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Moreover, three companies finished March with their stocks at 52-week highs: Courier Corp. at $39.45; Banta Corp. at $35.71; and MediaBay at $3.40. MediaBay, which reported improved results for 2001 late last month (p. 18), has seen its stock price rise 448% since the beginning of the year. A strong year-end report also boosted the stock price of Hastings Entertainment, giving the multimedia retailer the largest increase in the month. Although PW does not typically include companies on its monthly winners and losers chart whose stock price is below $4, the only two companies that had a decline in Marchwere the low-priced shares of Franklin Electronic Publishers and Millbrook Press.
Source: Reed Business Information
Winners
Hastings Entertainment 6.50 7.89 21.4%
Pearson 11.34 13.33 17.5
Borders Group 21.39 23.91 11.8
Courier Corp. 35.80 39.45 9.2
R.R. Donnelley 28.61 31.10 8.7
Scholastic 50.15 54.19 8.1
Reed International 36.60 39.57 8.1
Losers
Franklin Electronic Pub. 2.31 1.95 -15.6%
Millbrook Press 2.77 2.50 -6.2
Publishers Weekly
Stock Index 434.07 463.80 6.8%
Dow Jones Average 10,106.13 10,403.94 2.9%