Stock Indexes
Dow Jones Industrial Average
A price-weighted index of 30 large US blue-chip companies, often quoted as 'the market' in headlines.
Dow chart
- Proxy
- Index CFD
- Intraday · may be delayed
- FOREXCOM:DJI
This chart uses FOREX.com's DJI CFD as a proxy for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The CFD trades outside US cash hours and its price can differ from the official DJIA published by S&P Dow Jones Indices.
About the Dow
The Dow Jones Industrial Average tracks 30 large US companies selected by a committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices. It is one of the oldest stock market indexes in the world.
Unlike the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100, the Dow is price-weighted: a stock with a higher share price has more influence regardless of company size. The index is computed by dividing the sum of prices by a divisor that is adjusted for splits and composition changes.
With only 30 members and price weighting, the Dow can diverge from broader indexes on any given day. Traders mainly access it through YM and MYM futures on CME and the DIA ETF.
What moves Dow
Common drivers. None of them determine price on their own.
- High-priced constituents
- Because of price weighting, the members with the highest share prices contribute the most points. Check which stocks are driving a move before reading it as broad strength or weakness.
- Industrial and cyclical exposure
- The Dow carries more financials, industrials and healthcare and less technology than the Nasdaq-100, so it can respond differently to growth data and rate moves.
- Macro data
- Payrolls, ISM surveys and FOMC decisions affect the Dow through the growth and rate outlook, as with other US indexes.
Dow trading hours
Regular schedules in US Eastern time unless noted. Holidays and early closes are not shown.
| Venue | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| NYSE / Nasdaq cash session | Mon–Fri 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET | — |
| E-mini Dow futures (CME Globex) | Sun–Fri 6:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET (daily 5:00–6:00 p.m. ET maintenance break) | — |
Economic events that matter for Dow
Why each release can move this market. Reactions depend on the surprise versus expectations and on the backdrop.
| Event | Why it can matter for Dow |
|---|---|
| NFP Next: | The Dow's industrial, financial and consumer companies are closely tied to the domestic business cycle, so jobs data is read for what it says about demand as well as for its rate implications. |
| FOMC Next: | With large weights in financials and industrials, the Dow can respond differently from the tech-heavy Nasdaq to a Fed decision: higher rates can help bank margins while weighing on rate-sensitive sectors. |
| ISM Mfg Next: | Industrial companies carry meaningful weight in the price-weighted Dow, so the manufacturing survey's new orders and production readings speak directly to a sizeable part of the index. |
| CPI Next: | Hot inflation can pressure valuations through higher yields, but the Dow's banks can benefit from higher rates while other sectors are hurt, which can make its CPI reaction more mixed than the Nasdaq-100's. |
Dow FAQ
Why is the Dow price-weighted?
The Dow dates to 1896, when averaging share prices was the practical way to compute an index by hand. It has kept that method, adjusting a divisor for splits and membership changes, rather than switching to market-cap weighting.
What is US30?
US30 is a name many CFD brokers use for a contract that tracks the Dow Jones Industrial Average. It is a broker product, not the official index or an exchange-traded future.
What are Dow futures hours?
YM and MYM futures trade on CME Globex from Sunday 6:00 p.m. to Friday 5:00 p.m. ET, with a daily 5:00–6:00 p.m. ET maintenance break.