In the summer of 2002, WWE business went to the gutter. The stock price had been 14.60 on June 28th, only to suffer a sudden decline which continually tumbled towards a record low of 7.10 in October 2002. The reason for the free fall depression were a number of factors. Top star Stone Cold Steve Austin had abruptly quit the company in June, which seemed to tie in with the timing of the stock collapse. It was also in this period that the company was coming to terms with the brand change from WWF to WWE. Their brand awareness was undoubtedly impacted. On top of all of that, McMahon had to face up to the fact that the wrestling boom had peaked and a period of decline was inevitable. The stock decrease was the hangover from what had been a bountiful 1998 - 2001 period. With Vince's stocks at 14.60 on June 28th, he helplessly watched them drop 50% in the four months that followed.
