what's the dow jones index
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI), commonly just referred to as simply The Dow, is an average of the price of 30 different stocks. The stocks represent 30 of the largest and most widely publicly traded stocks in the United States.
Shutterstock photo. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is the most watched stock index, as well as the oldest, in the United States. The S&P 500, or the Standard & Poor's 500, is a commonly followed stock index, and many consider it as one of the best representations of the U.S. stock market. But what is the difference?