No Awards for Movie Stocks
Index of Movie-Related Stocks Is Down 31%

Washington, DC -- March 14, 2003 -- While Hollywood prepares for the glitter and glamour of the Academy Awards on March 23, movie-related stocks have little to celebrate, according to Keck's Index. 

Keck's Index: Silver Screen tracks the stocks of 15 publicly traded companies that make, distribute, publicize and show movies.  And though many companies on the list have contenders for an Oscar, few are "action heroes" when it comes to market performance.

The Index includes big studios, like Paramount, Universal, 20th Century Fox, Warner and MGM, along with providers of production expertise, like Technicolor.  Movie promotions specialist Point.360 is one of few bright spots, up for the second year in a row, as is Carmike Cinema, a movie theater chain, up 25% since last year's Oscars.  But even Miramax, distributor of red-hot Chicago and Gangs of New York can't prop up Walt Disney, down 29% since last year.

Adding new meaning to the phrase, "movie trailers," the Silver Screen Index is also lagging behind the S&P 500, though that index is calculated somewhat differently.

There few glamour stocks this year, Index creator Gayle Keck admits.  "The only superstars you'll find are the ones walking down the red carpet!"