Finance

Sales of retail products at Amazon rose 15% in the first quarter of 2017 over the comparable period last year. Among the many items sold in the sector are print and digital books.

Sales in the adult trade category increased 6.8% in November over a year ago, and sales in the children’s/young adult category jumped 16.2%, according to the AAP.

With an 18% increase in Amazon's stock price for Q1 2017 over Q4 2016, the tech giant posted the largest gains of the companies tracked in the PW Stock Index.

A one-time charge associated with the sale of Quarto's Books & Gifts Direct business resulted in an operating loss for the company in 2016, but sales and profits in its core publishing operations rose.

The lack of a mega-bestseller was one factor in the 9.6% drop in revenue at Penguin Random House in 2016; earnings in the year fell 3.6% compared to 2015. Operating margins, however, improved to 16.0% in 2016, up from 15.0% in 2015.

Revenue at the company fell 8.1% in the third quarter, ended February 28. The publisher reported a $15.4 million net loss in the quarter, up from $9.0 million a year ago.

Continued strong sales of 'March' helped to drive a 19% increase in revenue in the first quarter ended January 31, 2017, in IDW Media's publishing division.

Sales of adult trade books fell 13.1% in October compared to October 2015, while sales in the children’s/young adult segment rose 1.9%.

Profits rose 5.0% at Lagardere Publishing in 2106 over 2015, helped by strict cost controls at Hachette Book Group USA which integrated the publishing arm of Perseus Books Group during the year.

Sales of higher education textbooks fell 27% at John Wiley in the third quarter ended January 31, compared to the third period of fiscal 2016. Sales of STM and professional books fell 12%.