Industry Stocks: July Performances

Company June 30 July 29 % Change
With winners outnumbering losers by a two-to-one ratio, the Publishers Weekly Stock Index rose 4.7% in July, beating the 3.6% gain posted by the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Amazon.com, which had a strong second quarter and a bullish outlook for the third quarter, led the gains in July with its stock price jumping 36.4%. John Wiley's stock benefited from the announcement of a stock buyback program. Gains in the first half of 2005 at Reed Elsevier (parent company of PW) did not impress investors and contributed to a 4.7% decline in its stock price last month. Also in July, B&N chairman Len Riggio spent about $15.3 million to buy 380,600 shares of the chain's stock, putting his holdings at 12.6 million shares.
Source: Reed Business Information
Winners
Amazon.com 33.09 45.15 36.4%
Leap Frog 11.30 12.47 10.4
Advanced Marketing Svcs. 5.00 5.45 9.0
John Wiley & Sons 39.73 42.85 7.8
Hastings Entertainment 5.93 6.36 7.2
Losers
Reed Elsevier plc 38.72 36.90 -4.7%
Scholastic 38.55 36.97 -4.1
Borders Group 25.31 24.69 -2.4
Marvel 19.72 19.39 -1.7
Publishers Weekly
Stock Index 510.87 534.87 4.7%
Dow Jones Average 10,274.97 10,640.91 3.6%