After slipping 1.8% in April, the Publishers Weekly Stock Index moved up 1.3% in May as the stock prices of 13 companies rose in the month, while prices fell at eight companies. The 1.3% increase posted by the PWSI beat the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which dipped 0.4% in May. For the second month in a row, Hastings Entertainment had the biggest gain with its stock price up 17.9% in May, driven by better than expected earnings in the first quarter. Strong sales for the fourth quarter ended March 31 helped boost Franklin Electronic Publishers' stock price 13.5%. Despite an upbeat forecast for the new fiscal year, Thomas Nelson's stock fell 10.5% in May, the biggest drop among the stocks on the PWSI.
Industry Stocks: May Performances
| COMPANY | APRIL 30 | MAY 28 | % CHANGE |
Source: REED BUSINESS INFORMATION | |||
| Winners | |||
| Hastings Entertainment | 6.60 | 7.78 | 17.9% |
| Franklin Electronic Pub. | 3.77 | 4.28 | 13.5 |
| Advanced Marketing Srvc. | 9.93 | 11.07 | 11.5 |
| Amazon.com | 43.60 | 48.50 | 11.2 |
| Books-A-Million | 5.56 | 5.99 | 7.7 |
| Losers | |||
| Thomas Nelson | 26.16 | 23.42 | -10.5% |
| Courier Corp. | 40.75 | 38.47 | -5.6 |
| Borders Group | 23.97 | 22.83 | -4.7 |
| Banta Corp. | 44.48 | 43.64 | -1.9 |
| McGraw-Hill Cos. | 78.86 | 77.92 | -1.2 |
| Publishers Weekly | |||
| Stock Index | 517.16 | 523.76 | 1.3% |
| Dow Jones Average | 10,225.57 | 10,188.45 | -0.4% |
