Dow Jones Industrial Average
What is the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Where did it come from?
Charles Dow began his average in 1884 with just 11 stocks, most of which were railroads and the largest companies during that time. He then composed the Dow Jones Jones Industrial Average in 1896 to make sense of all the Wall Street confusion. People on Wall Street found it very difficult to get an overall feeling of the market, whether it was up or down. Then in 1916 the average grew to 20 companies and added another 10 in 1928, making it the Dow 30. This indicator consists of 30 large Blue-Chip companies which The Dow Jones Corporation believe represent all aspects of the economy.
Over the years, the holdings in the Dow have changed and will continue to change based on the economy. The only remaining original member of the Dow is General Electric. The most recent change was on November 1, 1999, when Home Depot, Intel, Microsoft and SBC Communications were added, giving it a little excitement and a taste of technology. Below is a list of the current stocks in the Dow Jones IA.
| Symbol |
Company |
Industry |
| T |
AT&T Corp |
Telecommunications-Svcs |
| AA |
Alcoa Inc |
Metal Ores-Non Ferrous |
| AXP |
American Express Co |
Financial Services-Misc |
| BA |
Boeing Co |
Aerospace/Defense |
| CAT |
Caterpillar Inc |
Machinery-Const/Mining |
| C |
Citigroup Inc |
Banks-Money Center |
| KO |
Coca-Cola Co |
Beverages-Soft Drinks |
| DD |
Dupont De Nemours & Co |
Diversified Operations |
| EK |
Eastman Kodak |
Leisure-Photo Equip/Rel |
| XOM |
Exxon Mobil Corp |
Oil&Gas-Intl Integrated |
| GE |
General Electric Co |
Electrical-Equipment |
| GM |
General Motors Corp |
Auto Mfrs-Domestic |
| HWP |
Hewlett-Packard Co |
Computer-Manufacturers |
| HD |
Home Depot Inc |
Retail/Whlsle-Bldg Prods |
| HON |
Honeywell Intl Inc |
Diversified Operations |
| INTC |
Intel Corp |
Elec-Semiconductor Mfg |
| IBM |
Intl Business Machines |
Computer-Manufacturers |
| IP |
Intl Paper Co |
Paper & Paper Products |
| JNJ |
Johnson & Johnson |
Medical-Drug/Diversified |
| MCD |
Mcdonalds Corp |
Retail-Restaurants |
| MRK |
Merck & Co |
Medical-Ethical Drugs |
| MSFT |
Microsoft Corp |
Computer Software-Desktop |
| MMM |
Minnesota Mining & Mfg |
Diversified Operations |
| JPM |
Morgan J P & Co |
Banks-Money Center |
| MO |
Philip Morris Companies |
Tobacco |
| PG |
Procter & Gamble |
Soap & Clng Preparatns |
| SBC |
S B C Communications Inc |
Utility-Telephone |
| UTX |
United Technologies Corp |
Aerospace/Defense Eqp |
| WMT |
Wal-Mart Stores |
Retail-Major Disc Chains |
| DIS |
Walt Disney Company |
Leisure-Services |
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