Dow Jones: average and yearly closing prices 1915-2021
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is (DJIA) is possibly the most well-known and commonly used stock index in the United States. It is a price-weighted index that assesses the stock prices of 30 prominent companies, whose combined prices are then divided by a regularly-updated divisor (0.15199 in February 2021), which gives the index value. The companies included are rotated in and out on a regular basis; as of mid-2022, the longest mainstay on the list is Procter & Gamble, which was added in 1932; whereas Amgen, Salesforce, and Honeywell were all added in 2020. As one of the oldest indices for stock market analysis, the impact of major events, recessions, and economic shocks or booms can be tracked and contextualized over longer periods of time.
Due to inflation, unadjusted figures appear to be more sporadic in recent years, however the greatest fluctuations came in the earliest years of the index. In the given period, the greatest decline came in the wake of the Wall Street Crash in 1929; by 1932 average values had fallen to just one fifth of their 1929 average, from roughly 314 to 65.
Due to inflation, unadjusted figures appear to be more sporadic in recent years, however the greatest fluctuations came in the earliest years of the index. In the given period, the greatest decline came in the wake of the Wall Street Crash in 1929; by 1932 average values had fallen to just one fifth of their 1929 average, from roughly 314 to 65.
