With seven losers and seven winners, the Publishers Weekly Stock Index rose a modest 0.7% in July, just below the 1.0% gain recorded by the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Scholastic posted the biggest gain in the month with its stock price rising steadily after the company reported a record fiscal 2012, which was enough to offset an outlook that calls for a decline in results in fiscal 2013. Books-A-Million’s stock price fell 26.8% in the month following the announcement of the decision by the Anderson family to drop its offer to acquire the shares in the retailer it doesn’t already own for $3.05 per share. Investors have been hot and cold about Barnes & Noble all year and the July sentiment turned cool, dropping its stock price 19.4%. A soft fiscal third quarter dropped Courier Corp.’s stock price by 16.1%.

Winners

Company June. 30 July. 31 % Change
Scholastic 28.14 30.13 7.1%
Reed Elsevier 32.03 33.69 5.2
McGraw-Hill Cos. 45.00 46.96 4.3
R.R. Donnelley 11.77 12.12 3.0
Amazon 228.35 233.30 2.2

Losers

Company June. 30 July. 31 % Change
Books-A-Million 3.22 2.36 -26.8
Barnes & Noble 16.46 13.27 -19.4
Courier Corp. 13.25 11.12 -16.1
Pearson 19.85 18.78 -5.4
John Wiley 48.99 47.65 -2.7
Publishers Weekly
Stock Index 534.36 537.99 0.7
Dow Jones Aver. 12,880.09 13,008.68 1.0