What Were the Original Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) Companies?

By
The Investopedia Team
Investopedia logo
Full Bio

Investopedia contributors come from a range of backgrounds, and over 24 years there have been thousands of expert writers and editors who have contributed.

Learn about our editorial policies
Updated March 19, 2021
Reviewed by
Gordon Scott
Reviewed by Gordon Scott
Full Bio

Gordon Scott has been an active investor and technical analyst or 20+ years. He is a Chartered Market Technician (CMT).

Learn about our Financial Review Board

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) was created in 1896 by Charles Dow and originally consisted of 12 companies: American Cotton Oil, American Sugar, American Tobacco, Chicago Gas, Distilling & Cattle Feeding, General Electric, Laclede Gas, National Lead, North American, Tennessee Coal and Iron, U.S. Leather, and U.S. Rubber.

At the time, these companies were among the titans of American industry. Of the original 12 companies, General Electric has remained in business and was a component of the DJIA longest. When it was removed from the DJIA in 2019 it had been a Dow component continuously for over 120 years. It was also the only company that retained its place on the DJIA under its original name since the index's inception. Others were broken up, taken over, dissolved, or relegated to subsidiary status over the years.

Understanding the DJIA

Charles Dow was an American journalist who founded a financial news bureau, originally called Dow, Jones & Co., with a colleague, Edward Davis Jones.

Key Takeaways

  • Choose the 12 companies that best indicate the direction of the American stock markets.
  • Add up their closing stock prices every day, and divide by 12.
  • That was the Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1896. (Now it's 30 companies.)

Like any observer, Dow saw that many or most stocks tended to move like a wave in the same direction from day to day as investors reacted to events and expectations. He sought to put a number on that daily movement.

Dow chose 12 of the biggest and most influential corporations of the day. Each was a giant in its sector, and most reflected demand for the raw materials that fed the American economy, like coal, sugar, and oil.

At the close of every trading day, he added up all of their stock prices and divided by 12. That was the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Introduced in The Wall Street Journal on May 26, 1896, the DJIA was the first index of stock market activity.

The timing was auspicious. The United States was emerging from a recession caused by the collapse in 1893 of Philadelphia and Reading Railroads. Even with trouble in the railroad industry, economic activity was booming. Coal remained the dominant fuel for transportation, while gas and electricity were in demand. Crops were a major export, while also providing sustenance to Americans.

Changes to the Dow

As the country's industrial age came to a close, electricity became the dominant energy source and led to numerous technological advancements that were embraced by consumers. The economy shifted toward providing more consumer goods and technology-based services and products.

Dow Component Changes on August 24, 2020

On August 24, 2020, Salesforce, Amgen and Honeywell were added to the Dow, replacing Exxon-Mobil, Pfizer, and Raytheon Technologies.

Most of the original companies in the DJIA were removed from the list long before they went out of business. Then and now, the list of Dow components is revised periodically to remove companies that can no longer be seen as bellwethers and to substitute companies that have climbed to prominence.

The Original Dow 30

In 1928, the Dow was expanded to include 30 companies. These companies have changed over the years, but the index still aims to represent the U.S. stock markets and the economy in general. The following are the first 30 Dow stocks, following the 1928 expansion:

  • Allied Chemical
  • American Can
  • American Smelting
  • American Sugar
  • American Tobacco
  • Atlantic Refining
  • Bethlehem Steel
  • Chrysler
  • General Electric
  • General Motors Corporation
  • General Railway Signal
  • Goodrich
  • International Harvester
  • International Nickel
  • Mack Truck
  • Nash Motors
  • North American
  • Paramount Publix
  • Postum Incorporated
  • Radio Corporation
  • Sears Roebuck & Company
  • Standard Oil (N.J.)
  • Texas Company
  • Texas Gulf Sulphur
  • Union Carbide
  • U.S. Steel
  • Victor Talking Machine
  • Westinghouse Electric
  • Woolworth
  • Wright Aeronautical

2020 Companies in the Dow

Below is a list of the companies included in the Dow as of August 2020. 

  1. Salesforce
  2. Procter & Gamble
  3. DowDuPont 
  4. Amgen
  5. 3M
  6. IBM
  7. Merck
  8. American Express
  9. McDonald's
  10. Boeing
  11. Coca-Cola
  12. Caterpillar
  13. JPMorgan Chase
  14. Walt Disney
  15. Johnson & Johnson
  16. Walmart
  17. Home Depot
  18. Intel
  19. Microsoft
  20. Honeywell
  21. Verizon
  22. Chevron
  23. Cisco Systems
  24. Travelers Cos.
  25. UnitedHealth Group
  26. Goldman Sachs
  27. Nike
  28. Visa
  29. Apple
  30. Walgreens Boots Alliance
Article Sources
Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy.

  1. Library of Congress. "Dow Jones Industrial Average First Published."

  2. S&P Dow Jones Indices. "Dow Jones Industrial Average: Historical Components."

  3. PR Newswire. "Walgreens Boots Alliance Set to Join Dow Jones Industrial Average."

  4. S&P Dow Jones Indices. "The Evolution of the Dow."