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Conference nyoss1::market_investing

Title:Market Investing
Moderator:2155::michaud
Created:Thu Jan 23 1992
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1060
Total number of notes:10477

812.0. "Dow Jones averages, computed how?" by NETRIX::michaud (Jeff Michaud, UC1) Thu Dec 29 1994 22:31

	How are the Dow Jones averages computed?  For example, how
	is the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) computed?
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812.1EVMS::HALLYBFish have no concept of fireFri Dec 30 1994 16:2512
    Add up the prices. Divide by a magic constant published by Dow Jones.
    (See, for example, _Barron's_ Market Laboratory section. Look around.)
    
    The magic constant was "30" at one time. 100 years ago, to be precise.
    But, stock splits and changes of companies force that constant to be
    twiddled to adjust prices so that one edition of the average terminates 
    at the exact price that the next edition begins.
    
    Every few years this happens. This year's DOW is quite different from
    the one in effect when you were born.
    
      John
812.24 DJIA stocks being replaced2155::michaudJeff Michaud - ObjectBrokerThu Mar 13 1997 04:048
	Starting Monday four stocks that make up the DJIA will be
	replaced (that's 13% of the 30 stocks that make up that average!).

	The stocks being replaced are Woolworth, Beth. Steel, Westinghouse,
	and Texaco.

	The stocks being added (replacing the above stocks) are Johnson
	and Johnson, Walmart, Travellers, and Hewlett Packard.
812.3UCXAXP::KIMMELThu Mar 13 1997 20:077
    They had an interesting take on this on CNBC this morning.
    
    The stocks being replaced were generally in a downward trend over
    the last 10 years, while the stocks coming in were in an upward
    trend.
    
    Implication - the DJIA will be moving up more rapidly now.
812.4DECCXL::WIBECANThat's the way it is, in Engineering!Thu Mar 13 1997 20:203
>>    Implication - the DJIA will be moving up more rapidly now.

That explains the 160 point drop today.  :-)
812.52155::michaudJeff Michaud - ObjectBrokerThu Mar 13 1997 22:1718
>>    Implication - the DJIA will be moving up more rapidly now.
> That explains the 160 point drop today.  :-)

	Wiseguy :-)  The new stocks are only part of the DJIA starting
	on Monday.

	The biggest loser among the DJIA today wasn't any of the stocks
	that will no longer be part of the DJIA, it was Phillip Morris,
	down over 10 points (over 7%).

	Last night I heard some commentary that it wasn't expected that
	being stocks being dropped from the DJIA will be affected much
	by the news.  That's because there's really not much money in
	mutual funds that index the DJIA.  Stocks that get dropped or
	added to the S&P500 are the ones that usually see corresponding
	movement in their stock prices because of the number of index funds
	(and the amount of money in those funds) that have to by their charter 
	mirror the S&P500.
812.6ASDG::WATSONDiscover AmericaFri Mar 14 1997 15:255
    Could disrupt the "Dow Dogs" portfolio owners...
    
    Lends some prestige factor to HP as well.  Something we don't need.
    It would have been better to get Intel to defect and put them in
    the Dow 30...
812.7UCXAXP::KIMMELFri Mar 14 1997 17:3311
    Well, as luck would have it...
    CNBC had the author of the Dow Dogs on this morning.  I forget his
    name.
    
    When asked this very question he said - nope - no disruption because
    you would still hold the stocks for the entire year.  In other words,
    you wouldn't change any allocation until next year - regardless of
    any change in status of the stocks in question.
    
    I too, by the way, would also have liked to see INTC get in there 
    instead of HWP.