If you work for a Fortune 500 corporation, you should know a little something about the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA).
And you can just say Dow for short if you really want to sound like a Career Goddess.
You’ve probably heard about it on the news or saw it online while you were trying to take a selfie on social media that would make your ex boyfriend jealous (now why would you do that???).
But now is the time to stop acting like you know what the world is talking about and play a leading role in your financial future. So grab a plant -based food bar and get ready to stimulate your mind with some delicious Dow Jones information.
The Dow Was Co-Founded by a Journalist
Never underestimate the power of writing. It can change the prevailing thoughts and ideas of a specific time. If you’ve ever thought about becoming a writer (freelance, part-time, full-time, blogger bee, etc), you might be inspired by Charles Dow.
Charles Dow is the co-founder of the Dow Jones and is also the founder of one of the most reputable financial publications in the world, Wall Street Journal. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was created as a way to demonstrate market movements and measure economic conditions.
It’s Not A Stock Exchange
The Dow is not the place where you shop for investments. Don’t expect to buy and sell shares of stock at the DJIA. That’s what you have the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ for.
The Dow serves a completely different purpose. It’s an index that’s used as a indicator to determine how well the economy is doing. That’s why it’s called the Dow Jones Industrial Average. So when you hear people screaming about the Dow Jones, that may be a sign to increase your cash on hand so you can be prepared during market uncertainties.
The Dow Consists of 30 Companies
Unlike the S&P 500 which lists the value of the 500 largest publicly traded companies, the Dow Jones only picks up the top 30. It’s an elite group of companies that make it to this index.
Is your company listed as part of the Dow Jones Industrial Average?
Companies in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (as of February 5, 2018)
| Company | Price | Change | % Change | Volume | YTD change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MMM 3M | 231.44 | -13.73 | -5.60% | 6,590,490 | -1.67% |
| AXP American Express | 92.01 | -4.67 | -4.83% | 6,421,934 | -7.35% |
| AAPL Apple | 156.49 | -4.01 | -2.50% | 72,738,522 | -7.53% |
| BA Boeing | 328.88 | -20.03 | -5.74% | 10,511,290 | +11.52% |
| CAT Caterpillar | 151.08 | -6.41 | -4.07% | 11,390,549 | -4.12% |
| CVX Chevron | 112.62 | -5.96 | -5.03% | 15,414,722 | -10.04% |
| CSCO Cisco | 38.78 | -2.15 | -5.25% | 52,399,572 | +1.25% |
| KO Coca-Cola | 44.89 | -1.84 | -3.94% | 23,261,475 | -2.16% |
| DIS Disney | 104.70 | -4.00 | -3.68% | 15,107,942 | -2.61% |
| DWDP DowDuPont Inc | 67.84 | -3.05 | -4.30% | 19,108,846 | -4.75% |
| XOM Exxon Mobil | 79.72 | -4.81 | -5.69% | 30,452,693 | -4.69% |
| GE General Electric | 14.91 | -0.73 | -4.67% | 123,241,607 | -14.56% |
| GS Goldman Sachs | 249.11 | -10.93 | -4.20% | 6,528,467 | -2.22% |
| HD Home Depot | 183.11 | -10.86 | -5.60% | 10,618,526 | -3.39% |
| IBM IBM | 152.53 | -6.50 | -4.09% | 8,746,599 | -0.58% |
| INTC Intel | 44.22 | -1.93 | -4.18% | 47,869,041 | -4.20% |
| JNJ Johnson & Johnson | 130.39 | -7.29 | -5.29% | 19,954,145 | -6.68% |
| JPM JPMorgan Chase | 108.80 | -5.48 | -4.80% | 30,097,591 | +1.74% |
| MCD McDonald’s | 163.85 | -5.53 | -3.26% | 7,309,275 | -4.80% |
| MRK Merck | 56.40 | -2.16 | -3.69% | 19,605,679 | +0.23% |
| MSFT Microsoft | 88.00 | -3.78 | -4.12% | 51,031,465 | +2.88% |
| NKE Nike | 64.39 | -2.83 | -4.21% | 12,549,483 | +2.94% |
| PFE Pfizer | 34.67 | -1.94 | -5.30% | 40,288,128 | -4.28% |
| PG Procter & Gamble | 81.06 | -3.19 | -3.79% | 17,462,165 | -11.78% |
| TRV Travelers Companies Inc | 141.52 | -6.43 | -4.35% | 3,358,918 | +4.34% |
| UTX United Technologies | 127.24 | -7.37 | -5.48% | 6,912,958 | -0.26% |
| UNH UnitedHealth | 220.02 | -11.86 | -5.11% | 6,289,977 | -0.20% |
| VZ Verizon | 50.50 | -2.48 | -4.68% | 22,239,589 | -4.59% |
| V Visa | 116.27 | -4.64 | -3.84% | 16,623,914 | +1.97% |
| WMT Wal-Mart | 100.09 | -4.39 | -4.20% | 12,561,594 | +1.36% |
Source: CNN Money
Well we won’t bore you with a long list of DOW facts. You may not be ready for all of that just yet so we are going to take it nice and slow. Soak it in and then answer these three questions to determine if you are ready for more investing insights.
Questions? Send me an email at charlene@charlenerhinehart.com.
Talk soon!
Bio
After becoming the first Certified Public Accountant to win the title of Ms. Corporate America 2015 in a pageant held in Orlando, Fl, Charlene created the Career Goddess Academy. She shares her money, health, travel, and career advice all over the web as a contributor for the Huffington Post, Black Enterprise, The Path Mag, Women on Business, Ms. Career Girl, and other sites. In 2015, she was recognized as the Illinois CPA Young Professional Leader of the Year.
Charlene now works on the set of the most popular TV shows, including EMPIRE, Chicago PD, Chicago Med and Chicago Fire.
Do you need a guest speaker? Contact Charlene at charlene@charlenerhinehart.com or learn more about my financial concierge services at www.charlenerhinehart.com.