Why IMAX Corporation Jumped 25% in September

What happened

Shares of IMAX (NYSE: IMAX) surged more than 25% last month, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. The entertainment technology company received a boost from a surprisingly popular horror flick that boosted attendance at theatres across the country.

So what

After a brutal start to the year as its stock price plunged as much as 40% by mid-August, IMAX's shares rebounded off their lows after It -- a silver screen adaptation of Stephen King's novel -- crushed opening weekend records for horror films and movies debuting in September. That's particularly good news for an industry that had just suffered its worst Labor Day holiday sales since the year 2000, and helped to quell fears that ticket sales were falling off a cliff.

Now what

The movie theatre industry has been at the losing end of the growth of online streaming video. As the stay-at-home trend continues to gain steam, movie theatre attendance and profits are likely to remain under pressure.

To remain relevant in this changing consumer environment, IMAX is investing in virtual reality technology and forging valuable partnerships with other innovative tech leaders. That's vital, because IMAX -- and the movie theatre industry as a whole -- will need to do all it can to create a distinctive movie-watching experience if it hopes to lure people away from an increasingly seductive array of stay-at-home options. And while it's too early to tell who will win this war, one thing is certain: the battle for movie-watchers' attention is about to intensify.

10 stocks we like better than IMAXWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and IMAX wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

Click here to learn about these picks!

*Stock Advisor returns as of September 5, 2017

Joe Tenebruso has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends IMAX. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.