Wall Street US 30/Dow Jones 30

Interesting facts

The Wall Street 30, also known as US30, Dow Jones 30, DJ30, or simply the Dow, is one of the most widely recognized stock market indices in the world. Historically, the index was created to track the movements of the largest industrial companies in America, however today it is comprised of thirty companies from all different sectors. The index often faces criticism because it is a price-weighted average, which means a higher priced stock will have a greater influence over the index than those with a lower price and thus does not take into account percentage change. Additionally, many feel its inclusion of merely 30 stocks is not an accurate representation of the overall U.S. market performance. That being said, the companies it is comprised of are some of the largest household names not only in the United States, but also the world, such as Intel, Exxon Mobil and Goldman Sachs.

Price drivers

The Dow is influenced by major economic data, such as the rate of unemployment or inflation, geopolitical events and the decisions of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), more commonly referred to as the Fed. Since the United States is the largest global economy and the USD is the reserve currency of the world, the decisions of the Fed to alter their monetary policy wields a tremendous influence on the markets in general, but tends to have a more pronounced impact on the US30. Some of the biggest factors which influence sentiment are rapidly changing energy prices, war/terrorism and political unrest or gridlock. Uncertainty tends to have a major impact on investor sentiment and their willingness to invest in the equities that make up the Dow Jones.