Choose an index fund or ETF that tracks the Dow. Some index funds track the performance of all 30 Dow stocks, whereas others only track a certain number of stocks or are weighted more towards specific stocks. You should select the fund that best suits your investment goals.
Open a share-trading account. Once you've selected the fund you'd like to buy, you'll need to open a trading account with a broker or platform that offers it. Different brokers have different fee structures, so it's worth researching which platform best suits your needs before investing. You can compare trading platforms below.
Deposit funds. Once you've set up an account, you'll need to deposit funds. Depending on which broker you use, you may need to pay a forex fee when you deposit money.
Buy the index fund. Once your account is set up and funded, you can buy the Dow Jones index fund. You generally pay a small annual fee in order to invest in an index fund or ETF.
DJIA live price
How does the Dow Jones work?
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), also known as the Dow, is a stock market index that tracks the stock performance of 30 of the largest companies on US stock exchanges.
The Dow is also not weighted by market capitalisation and does not use a weighted arithmetic mean. It is maintained by S&P Dow Jones Indices and is the second-oldest US market index, having launched in 1896.
Unlike the S&P 500 or Nasdaq 100, the stocks that make up the Dow Jones are manually selected by a committee.
Should I invest in the Dow?
The Dow is an index of 30 of the largest and most successful companies on US stock exchanges.
Historically it has been a sensible investment option and has returned around 10.9% annually since 1990.
However, in recent years it has been outperformed by the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy NASDAQ index.
Because it only tracks the performance of 30 manually-selected stocks, many critics argue it doesn't accurately represent the overall performance of the stock market.
Investing in Dow Jones ETFs and index funds
There are no Dow Jones ETFs listed directly on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), but it's still relatively easy to invest in a Down Jones ETF from Australia.
You'll just need an account with a trading platform that offers access to the US stock market and Dow Jones ETFs.
The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA) is the most popular Dow Jones ETF and has an annual management fee of 0.16%. You can invest in the Dow Jones DIA ETF on platforms like Stake, Interactive Brokers, Tiger Brokers, moomoo and eToro.
There are other ETFs that track the performance of the Dow Jones index, including:
iShares Dow Jones Industrial Average UCITS ETF (Acc)
Amundi Dow Jones Industrial Average UCITS ETF Dist
We currently don't have a partnership for that product, but we have other similar offers to choose from (how we picked these
):
Important: The standard brokerage fee displayed is the trade cost for new customers to purchase $1,000 of either Australian or US shares. Where a platform charges different fees for both US and Australian shares we show the lower of the two. Where both CHESS sponsored and custodian shares are offered, we display the cheapest option.
Key takeaways
The Dow Jones (DJIA) is a US stock index made up of 30 prominent companies on the US stock market like Apple, Disney and Coca-Cola.
While it's one of the oldest and most popular stock indices, it doesn't have the same market coverage of other popular indices like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100.
Since 1990, the Dow Jones has an average annual return of 10.9%.1 This means $1,000 invested in the Dow Jones in 1990 would now be worth around $35,200.
Investing in Dow Jones stocks
The alternative way to invest in the Dow Jones is to buy stocks in the listed companies directly. You could choose to buy one share in each of the 30 companies in the Dow or select a few stocks to buy.
However, while this method gives you direct exposure to the companies in the Dow Jones, it's likely to be an expensive way to invest. Many of the stocks in the Dow are worth hundreds of US dollars, so if you wanted to buy at least one stock in each company, you'd be looking at investing significant money.
Depending on which broker or trading platform you use in Australia, you may also be charged for each individual stock you buy, and these trading fees can often wipe out any potential profit you make. In comparison, you only pay a small annual fee when you buy an ETF, but your investment will still be tied to the performance of the Dow.
You can also trade the Dow Jones via derivatives such as futures contracts, which let you predict how the index will perform over a certain period.
Finder survey: Have Australians of different ages bought overseas stocks?
Response
75+ yrs
65-74 yrs
55-64 yrs
45-54 yrs
35-44 yrs
25-34 yrs
18-24 yrs
Australia
29.85%
23.43%
24.69%
25.56%
23.29%
28.11%
12.63%
Other
5.97%
4%
1.23%
0.56%
0.4%
1.05%
US
2.99%
4%
7.41%
12.22%
12.05%
9.22%
7.37%
NZ
1.49%
0.57%
1.61%
1.84%
UK
1.49%
1.14%
3.09%
1.11%
1.2%
1.84%
1.05%
China/Hong Kong
0.57%
0.62%
0.56%
3.21%
1.38%
2.11%
Europe (EU)
0.57%
1.23%
2.01%
1.38%
1.05%
Canada
1.23%
1.67%
1.2%
1.38%
1.05%
Japan
0.62%
0.56%
2.01%
1.84%
1.05%
India
0.56%
0.4%
0.92%
1.05%
Singapore
0.56%
1.61%
0.92%
1.05%
Africa & Middle East
1.05%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1145 Australians, December 2023
How to trade the Dow Jones index
It's possible to actively trade the Dow Jones using contracts for difference (CFDs). When you trade CFD indices, you're betting on the future price movements of the index.
This means you have the potential to earn a profit regardless of whether the index is rising or falling. This is sometimes called "futures" trading.
As CFD traders typically use leverage, both profits and losses are amplified. For this reason, CFDs are considered to be high-risk and only for experienced investors in Australia.
You can find out more about this in our comprehensive guide to CFD trading.
What companies are in the Dow Jones (DJIA)?
This is a list of all 30 companies that currently make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
The latest change to the index was in February 2024, when Amazon was selected in place of Walgreens Boots Alliance.2
This list was last updated on 26 August 2024.
Company
Exchange
Stock code
Industry
3M
NYSE
NYSE: MMM
Conglomerate
Amazon.com Inc
Nasdaq
NASDAQ: AMZN
Broadline retail
American Express
NYSE
NYSE: AXP
Financial services
Amgen
NYSE
NYSE: AMGN
Pharmaceuticals
Apple Inc.
NASDAQ
AAPL
Information technology
Boeing
NYSE
NYSE: BA
Aerospace and arms
Caterpillar Inc.
NYSE
NYSE: CAT
Construction/Mining
Chevron Corporation
NYSE
NYSE: CVX
Petroleum industry
Cisco Systems
NASDAQ
CSCO
Information technology
The Coca-Cola Company
NYSE
NYSE: KO
Food industry
Dow Inc.
NYSE
NYSE: DOW
Chemical industry
Goldman Sachs
NYSE
NYSE: GS
Financial services
The Home Depot
NYSE
NYSE: HD
Retailing
Honeywell International Inc
NYSE
NYSE: HON
Conglomerate
IBM
NYSE
NYSE: IBM
Information technology
Intel
NASDAQ
INTC
Information technology
Johnson & Johnson
NYSE
NYSE: JNJ
Pharmaceuticals
JPMorgan Chase
NYSE
NYSE: JPM
Financial services
McDonald's
NYSE
NYSE: MCD
Food industry
Merck & Co.
NYSE
NYSE: MRK
Pharmaceuticals
Microsoft
NASDAQ
MSFT
Information technology
Nike
NYSE
NYSE: NKE
Apparel
Procter & Gamble
NYSE
NYSE: PG
Consumer
Salesforce.Com Inc
NYSE
NYSE: CRM
Information technology
The Travelers Companies
NYSE
NYSE: TRV
Financial services
UnitedHealth Group
NYSE
NYSE: UNH
Managed health care
United Technologies
NYSE
NYSE: UTX
Conglomerate
Verizon
NYSE
NYSE: VZ
Telecommunication
Visa Inc.
NYSE
NYSE: V
Financial services
Walmart
NYSE
NYSE: WMT
Retailing
The Walt Disney Company
NYSE
NYSE: DIS
Broadcasting/entertainment
Important information: Powered by Finder.com.au. This information is general in nature and is no substitute for professional advice. It does not take into account your personal situation. This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of futures, stocks, ETFs, CFDs, options or any specific provider, service or offering. It should not be relied upon as investment advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks, ETFs and options trading involves substantial risk of loss and therefore are not appropriate for most investors. You do not own or have any interest in the underlying asset. Capital is at risk, including the risk of losing more than the amount originally put in, market volatility and liquidity risks. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Tax on profits may apply. Consider the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determination for the product on the provider's website. Consider your own circumstances, including whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money and possess the relevant experience and knowledge. We recommend that you obtain independent advice from a suitably licensed financial advisor before making any trades.
Tom Stelzer is a publisher and writer for Finder, covering investing and cryptocurrency.
He previously worked for Finder as a writer in Australia and the UK, covering things like personal finance, loans, investing, insurance as well as small business and business loans.
He has a Master of Media Arts and Production and Bachelor of Communications in Journalism from the University of Technology Sydney. See full bio
Kylie Purcell is the senior investments editor and analyst at Finder. She has completed a Certificate of Securities and Managed Investments (RG146) and specialises in investment products including online brokers, robo-advisors, stocks and ETFs. See full bio
Kylie's expertise
Kylie has written 134 Finder guides across topics including:
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