Dow Jones Industrial Average - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linear graph of the DJIA from 1896 through 2024

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSEDJI, also called the DJIA, Dow 30, The Dow Jones or The Dow) is a stock market index. It was created by Charles Dow, who started the Wall Street Journal newspaper and later Dow Jones & Company.

The stock prices of 30 companies are used to calculate the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The 30 companies are picked by experts who work for Dow Jones. They are supposed to represent the general economy of the United States. The rules to pick companies say that all the companies must be from the USA. The rules also say the companies' stocks must be traded on either the NYSE or the Nasdaq Exchange.

In the past the companies were all heavy industries companies and made things like steel, oil, autos, and appliances. Now the it has many different kinds of companies including some that offer products and services like medicine or software.

Since 2020, these are the companies that currently make up the Dow Jones:

Company Exchange Symbol Industry Date Added Notes
3M NYSE MMM Archived 2013-10-21 at the Wayback Machine Conglomerate 1976-08-09 as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing
American Express NYSE AXP Archived 2013-08-09 at the Wayback Machine Consumer finance 1982-08-30
Amgen NASDAQ AMGN Pharmaceuticals 2020-08-31
Apple NASDAQ AAPL Consumer Electronics 2015-03-18
Boeing NYSE BA Archived 2012-10-17 at the Wayback Machine Aerospace and Defense contractor 1987-03-12
Caterpillar NYSE CAT Archived 2013-04-25 at the Wayback Machine Construction and Mining equipment 1991-05-06
Chevron NYSE CVX Archived 2013-05-13 at the Wayback Machine Oil & gas 2008-02-19 also 1930-07-18 to 1999-11-01
Cisco Systems NASDAQ CSCO Computer networking 2009-06-08
Coca-Cola NYSE KO Archived 2012-12-12 at the Wayback Machine Beverages 1987-03-12 also 1932-05-26 to 1935-11-20
DuPont NYSE DD Archived 2013-05-13 at the Wayback Machine Chemical industry 1935-11-20 also 1924-01-22 to 1925-08-31
General Electric NYSE GE Archived 2014-04-10 at the Wayback Machine Conglomerate 1907-11-07
Goldman Sachs NYSE GS Archived 2012-10-13 at the Wayback Machine Banking, Financial services 2013-09-20
The Home Depot NYSE HD Archived 2012-12-12 at the Wayback Machine Home improvement retailer 1999-11-01
Honeywell NYSE HON Archived 2013-04-25 at the Wayback Machine Conglomerate 2020-08-31
Intel NASDAQ INTC Semiconductors 1999-11-01
IBM NYSE IBM Archived 2012-10-14 at the Wayback Machine Computers and technology 1979-06-29 also 1932-05-26 to 1939-03-04
Johnson & Johnson NYSE JNJ Archived 2013-04-25 at the Wayback Machine Pharmaceuticals 1997-03-17
JPMorgan Chase NYSE JPM Archived 2013-08-26 at the Wayback Machine Banking 1991-05-06
McDonald's NYSE MCD Archived 2013-12-20 at the Wayback Machine Fast food 1985-10-30
Merck NYSE MRK Archived 2013-04-25 at the Wayback Machine Pharmaceuticals 1979-06-29
Microsoft NASDAQ MSFT Software 1999-11-01
Nike NYSE NKE Archived 2013-01-16 at the Wayback Machine Apparel 2013-09-20
Procter & Gamble NYSE PG Archived 2013-05-13 at the Wayback Machine Consumer goods 1932-05-26
Salesforce NYSE CRM Archived 2014-06-04 at the Wayback Machine Software 2020-08-31
Travelers NYSE TRV Archived 2013-05-13 at the Wayback Machine Insurance 2009-06-08
UnitedHealth Group NYSE UNH Archived 2013-05-13 at the Wayback Machine Managed health care 2012-09-24
United Technologies NYSE UTX Archived 2013-04-25 at the Wayback Machine Conglomerate 1939-03-14 as United Aircraft
Verizon NYSE VZ Archived 2013-05-13 at the Wayback Machine Telecommunication 2004-04-08
Visa NYSE V Archived 2012-10-16 at the Wayback Machine Consumer banking 2013-09-20
Wal-Mart NYSE WMT Archived 2013-05-13 at the Wayback Machine Retail 1997-03-17
Walt Disney NYSE DIS Archived 2013-07-23 at the Wayback Machine Broadcasting and entertainment 1991-05-06

For a list of companies that have once been a part on the Dow Jones but are no longer part of it, see this list.