The Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE: DJI, also called the DJIA, Dow 30, The Dow Jones or The Dow) is a stock market index. It was created by Charles Dow, who started the Wall Street Journal newspaper and later Dow Jones & Company.
The stock prices of 30 companies are used to calculate the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The 30 companies are picked by experts who work for Dow Jones. They are supposed to represent the general economy of the United States. The rules to pick companies say that all the companies must be from the USA. The rules also say the companies' stocks must be traded on either the NYSE or the Nasdaq Exchange.
In the past the companies were all heavy industries companies and made things like steel, oil, autos, and appliances. Now the it has many different kinds of companies including some that offer products and services like medicine or software.
Since 2020, these are the companies that currently make up the Dow Jones:
For a list of companies that have once been a part on the Dow Jones but are no longer part of it, see this list.