The Publishers Weekly Stock Index was evenly divided in October with the stock prices of seven companies rising, while prices fell at an equal number. The overall result was a 3.8% drop in the PWSI in the month which was largely due to the almost $20 drop in the share price of Amazon. The e-tailer had a weaker than expected third quarter report and investors continue to be divided over whether Amazon’s continued heavy investments are positioning it to dominate e-commerce for years to come or reflect a company that will never deliver high profits. The biggest winner in October was Amazon’s chief bookselling rival Barnes & Noble whose stock price continued is roller coaster ways, jumping 36.2% helped by good reviews for its new Nook tablets which are available in the U.S. and U.K.
Winners
| Company | Sept. 28 | Oct. 31 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes & Noble | 12.36 | 16.84 | 36.2% |
| Scholastic | 31.78 | 33.01 | 3.8 |
| Hastings Ent. | 1.97 | 2.04 | 3.5 |
| Pearson | 19.54 | 20.10 | 2.9 |
| Reed Elsevier | 38.21 | 39.07 | 2.3 |
Losers
| Company | Sept. 28 | Oct. 31 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBS | 36.33 | 32.40 | -10.8 |
| Amazon | 252.01 | 232.89 | -7.6 |
| Walt Disney | 52.28 | 49.12 | -6.0 |
| R.R. Donnelley | 10.60 | 10.02 | -5.5 |
| John Wiley | 45.95 | 43.38 | -5.5 |
| Publishers Weekly | |||
| Stock Index | 574.68 | 552.98 | -3.8 |
| Dow Jones Aver. | 13,437.00 | 13,096.46 | -2.5 |
