Dive into the Dow Jones Industrial Average, one of the most watched stock market indices in the world. Learn what it represents and its significance in the financial markets.

The Dow Jones’ latest bullish push has sent prices well into record highs, and even Thursday’s moderate pullback of -500 points still leaves prices buried deep in bull country, trading nearly 4% above the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at 39,345.00.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.5% on Monday to post a record close at 40,211.72, with gains driven by components within the financials sector. The index broke out from a

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) joined the Dow Jones Industrial Average in late February -- giving the traditionally stodgy, income-oriented index more exposure to growth. Amazon has continued its torrid run since 2023. As of June 27, it is the best-performing stock in the index.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) clipped into further gains on Wednesday, extending the week’s hard rally on sky-high rate cut expectations and stepped into yet another all-time record high in intraday trading. Investors are piling into securities poised to capitalize on broadly-expected Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cuts.

Microsoft ( MSFT -0.25%), UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), and Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE: GS) are the three largest Dow components and all trade at over $460 a share. Together, they make up roughly 24% of the Dow, whereas the average component holds a mere 3.3% weighting.