The stocks on the Publishers Weekly Stock Index lost nearly half their value in 2008, tumbling 46.6% for the year, a steeper drop than the 33.8% decline posted by the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Only one of the 16 stocks on the PWSI had an increase in its share price in the year—Marvel's rose 15.1%, thanks in large part to a successful movie slate. John Wiley had the smallest decline in the year and, like most companies on the PWSI, remains solidly profitable. One of the few companies that has been losing money is Borders; its stock price plunged 96.2% to finish the year at 40 cents per share; the chain's stock has been trading at under $1 since December 1.
Stock Watch, 2008
| Company | Dec. 31, 2007 | Dec. 31, 2008 | % chge |
| Source: Reed Business Information | |||
| Marvel Entertainment | 26.71 | 30.75 | 15.1% |
| John Wiley | 42.84 | 35.58 | -16.9 |
| Educational Dev. Corp | 5.47 | 3.70 | -32.3 |
| Pearson | 14.49 | 9.54 | -34.2 |
| Amazon | 92.64 | 51.28 | -44.6 |
| Reed Elsevier | 53.90 | 29.84 | -45.4 |
| Courier Corp. | 33.01 | 17.90 | -45.8 |
| McGraw-Hill | 43.81 | 23.19 | -47.1 |
| Barnes & Noble | 34.45 | 15.00 | -56.5 |
| Scholastic | 34.89 | 13.58 | -61.0 |
| R.R. Donnelley | 37.74 | 13.58 | -64.0 |
| CBS | 27.25 | 8.19 | -70.0 |
| Franklin Elec. Pub. | 3.15 | .83 | -73.6 |
| Books-A-Million | 11.92 | 2.55 | -78.6 |
| Hastings Entertainment | 9.33 | 1.73 | -81.4 |
| Borders Group | 10.65 | .40 | -96.2 |
| PWSI | 482.25 | 257.63 | -46.6% |
| Dow Jones Ave. | 13,264.82 | 8776.39 | -33.8 |
