We hear about it every day. The Dow is up, The Dow is down, but what does it really mean?

In 1882 Charles Dow and Edwards Jones together with Charles Bergstresser founded what would become one of the largest and most prominent business and financial news firms on the planet – Dow Jones & Company. The name is taken after Charles and Edward’s surnames respectively. They would also go on to form The Wall Street Journal in 1889 – which to this day is still one of the leading and most influential financial publications.

In 1884 Charles Dow – who also served as editor of The Wall Street Journal – began recording stock averages. The first which grouped together 9 railroads and two industrial companies was the precursor to the Dow Jones Transportation Average. Charles Dow was grouping together stocks from businesses of similar nature to create an overall average to gauge the performance of the market.

Charles’ second index is also his most notable. Known by its many monikers – DJI, Industrial Average, Dow 30, or just The Dow – the Dow Jones Industrial Average, in its modern incarnation, serves as an index that indicates the performance of 30 large publicly owned companies based in the United States during a standard trading session in the stock market. The original Dow Jones Industrial was published on May 26 1896, and consisted of 12 industrials. General Electric is the only of the original 12 to remain on the index, but check out this list of the other 11.

• American Cotton Oil Company, predecessor company to Bestfoods, now part of Unilever.
• American Sugar Company, became Domino Sugar in 1900, now Domino Foods, Inc.
• American Tobacco Company, broken up in a 1911 antitrust action.
• Chicago Gas Company, bought by Peoples Gas Light in 1897, now an operating subsidiary of Integrys Energy Group.
• Distilling & Cattle Feeding Company, now Millennium Chemicals, formerly a division of LyondellBasell, the latter of which recently emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.^[12]
• Laclede Gas Company, still in operation as the Laclede Group, Inc., removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1899.
• National Lead Company, now NL Industries, removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1916.
• U.S. Leather Company, dissolved in 1952.
• United States Rubber Company, changed its name to Uniroyal in 1961, merged with private B.F. Goodrich in 1986, bought by Michelin in 1990.

string(6216) "
We hear about it every day. The Dow is up, The Dow is down, but what does it really mean?
In 1882 Charles Dow and Edwards Jones together with Charles Bergstresser founded what would become one of the largest and most prominent business and financial news firms on the planet - Dow Jones & Company. The name is taken after Charles and Edward's surnames respectively. They would also go on to form The Wall Street Journal in 1889 - which to this day is still one of the leading and most influential financial publications. 
In 1884 Charles Dow - who also served as editor of The Wall Street Journal - began recording stock averages. The first which grouped together 9 railroads and two industrial companies was the precursor to the Dow Jones Transportation Average. Charles Dow was grouping together stocks from businesses of similar nature to create an overall average to gauge the performance of the market. 
Charles' second index is also his most notable. Known by its many monikers - DJI, Industrial Average, Dow 30, or just The Dow - the Dow Jones Industrial Average, in its modern incarnation, serves as an index that indicates the performance of 30 large publicly owned companies based in the United States during a standard trading session in the stock market. The original Dow Jones Industrial was published on May 26 1896, and consisted of 12 industrials. General Electric is the only of the original 12 to remain on the index, but check out this list of the other 11.
American Cotton Oil Company, predecessor company to Bestfoods, now part of Unilever.
American Sugar Company, became Domino Sugar in 1900, now Domino Foods, Inc.
American Tobacco Company, broken up in a 1911 antitrust action.
Chicago Gas Company, bought by Peoples Gas Light in 1897, now an operating subsidiary of Integrys Energy Group.
Distilling & Cattle Feeding Company, now Millennium Chemicals, formerly a division of LyondellBasell, the latter of which recently emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.[12]
Laclede Gas Company, still in operation as the Laclede Group, Inc., removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1899.
National Lead Company, now NL Industries, removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1916.
U.S. Leather Company, dissolved in 1952.
United States Rubber Company, changed its name to Uniroyal in 1961, merged with private B.F. Goodrich in 1986, bought by Michelin in 1990.
In order to come up with the calculation, Charles Dow used a weighted average - stocks with higher values are given a higher weight in the index. The divisor for the Dow has been adjusted over time to keep the index from being affected by market events, political events, war, and natural disaster. The Dow has maintained its importance and influence over the years because it provides an overview of American economic performance. When you hear people say "the market is up" it is almost always a direct reference to the Dow. 
In 1928, at the height of the roaring 20's the Dow increased it's index to 30 in accordance with the changing economic tides. Since then there have been several shifts as stocks have been moved in and out of the index. In 2015 Apple Inc. was added. 
Check out a complete list of the current 30 on the Dow Jones Industrial Average - many which aren't even industrial, but they all serve to give a cross section of the American economy and its performance.

"

By Massimo Tornambe Scott Disick, aka “Lord Disick” has gained fame and a devoted following since his appearances on the reality show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Disick is renowned for his expensive taste in clothes, cars, and women. The question that millions of fans are asking is: where did his fortune come from? Scott

Traditional weddings can be incredibly stressful, not to mention super pricey – many newlyweds couldn’t even buy a house with that money. What’s supposed to be the happiest day of your life can often feel like an endless quest for absolute perfection – almost as if the ceremony doesn’t come off flawlessly, the marriage itself

The Momager May Be Worth More Than You Think… Kris Jenner is a pop culture icon for many reasons. While you may have watched her meteoric rise to fame on Keeping Up with the Kardashians — which originally debuted on E! — she’s actually been a fascinating figure in the public eye for ages.  As

Everyone says the economy’s healthier than ever, but some of us still find it necessary to make that paycheck stretch…and stretch…and stretch. The better we understand our spending habits, the better we can manage them. Living frugally can benefit you in many ways. You’ll grow more self-reliant, creative, and resourceful as you learn to make

Spring is in the air — and while you’re clearing out closets and scrubbing the back corners of the kitchen drawers, why not do a deep clean on something that really weighs you down? We’re talking about debt. Yep, those sneaky credit card balances, student loans, Buy Now Pay Later plans, and subscriptions that keep

Attention fellow thrifters! Raise your hand if you’ve ever experienced buyer’s remorse over some of your past secondhand shopping. *Raises both hands, high.*  One of the many benefits when it comes to thrifting vs. shopping high-end retail, is that it saves you a ton. With this in mind, it’s easy to get carried away with

In the 1980s movie Little Shop of Horrors, the protagonist Audrey fantasizes about owning a house of her very own. She doesn’t ask for much: just a simple one-storey place with a washer, dryer, and bedding will do.  And while this moment in the film is intended to satirize the American Dream by underlining how

Tax season can absolutely wreck your life for a few weeks, especially if the very thought of anything math-related makes you break out in a rash. (No? Just me?) But regardless of how overwhelming organizing all your receipts and deductions may seem, the process can be made a million times easier with the help of

Despite the fact that late-stage capitalism is an amoral hellhole driven by a borderline religious belief in the sanctity of brands, we would never, ever suggest that anyone should shoplift from big-box stores, or even imply that doing so is morally okay or a victimless crime. But hypothetically, if we were to give any tidbit

In this month’s Money Journal, Celia is organized and disciplined yet enjoys her life “to the Max” Welcome to Money Journal, a monthly Paypath series that examines how Americans really handle their finances. Our participants keep a journal of their earnings, spending, and savings (if any), then share what it’s like to live in their