What is the Dow Jones Industrial Average?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, commonly known as "the Dow", is an index of 30 major blue-chip shares traded on Wall Street. The composition of the index changes over time, reflecting developments on the US corporate scene.

Where have you heard about the Dow Jones Industrial Average?

No news round-up of stock-market movements would be complete without a reference to the Dow. As an investor, you may have read of one or other asset manager's performance using the Dow as a benchmark.

What you need to know about the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

This is the blue-chip corporate stock-market index. Companies currently in the Dow read like a who's who of American business and industry, and include General Electric, Walt Disney, Exxon Mobil and Microsoft. Day to day movements in the Dow up or down are taken as a vital check on the health of Wall Street. Asset managers can judge their performance against the Dow and investors can buy Dow futures, allowing them to bet on where the index is heading. Membership of the Dow is regularly refreshed to ensure it remains representative of American big business.

Find out more about the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

The Dow is perhaps the best-known stock-market index. Learn more about stock-market indices here.