Industry Stocks: May Performances

Both the Publishers Weekly Stock Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average eked out lackluster gains of 0.8% in May. Stock prices of seven companies on the PWSI fell in the month, while prices rose at another six. The stock price of Educational Development Corp. held steady at $3.80. Even in a quiet month, Barnes & Noble’s stock price was, once again, the most volatile. After falling 21.5% in April, following the disclosure that chairman Len Riggio sold a chunk of his shares, B&N’s stock price rose 10.6% in May—the best performance in the month. The stock price for Chegg, another big loser in April, rose 5.7% in May. A large first-quarter loss contributed to a 10.8% drop in the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt stock price, the biggest decline among companies listed on the PWSI in the month. Similarly, a mixed quarterly report was a factor in the 6.5% decline in Courier’s stock price.