When: Oct. 7
What: Even the most casual news watchers probably know the Dow Jones industrial average. Derived from the Dow Jones Index, which shows how 30 publicly owned companies traded during a stock market session, its long history of prediction shows just how tightly tied economics and world events really are. Participate and encourage communities to work together this Oct. 7, celebrating the anniversary of when the Dow Jones Industrial Average was first published in the Wall Street Journal.
Background: The Dow Jones Industrial Average was officially launched in 1896 by then-Wall Street Journal editor Charles Dow and statistician Edward Jones. The index got its beginnings in 1884, however, when Dow published his first stock average in the Customer’s Afternoon Letter, a small daily financial bulletin that eventually became the Wall Street Journal. The average has since expanded to include 30 companies and no longer focuses solely on heavy industry.
Story Pitch: The first publication of the Dow 30 is an ideal event for a variety of companies, as the industries currently listed on it range from banking and transportation to food and entertainment. Thinking of providing feedback and analysis on how your industry and company faired in recent years compared against the Dow? If your company is publicly traded, be sure to highlight what steps you’ve taken to stay competitive and solvent. Similarly, any person or company that works in investing tools or advice has a clear connection to this day. What expertise in interpreting the Dow and other metrics do you offer potential clients, and what are some of your success stories? If you offer investing software, tools and services to private citizens, be sure to talk about the services you provide that run the gamut from novice to expert, and what you do to minimize risk for small investors.
Story Hook: The Dow Jones Industrial Average can be highly sensitive to global politics, but what are some news topics we might not expect to affect it? Keep the following in mind when making your pitch:
- What criticism has been leveled at the Dow 30?
- Where should the average person begin looking for investment advice and information?
- What economic metrics beside the Dow 30 are of use to the average investor?
- Are there any signs of new economic averages and measurements being developed?
Tips: Provide contact information for local and small investment advisors who can give perspective on what the Dow Jones Industrial Average means to economics and how most investors handle it.
Resources:
National Association of Stockbrokers
(858) 455-7422
www.nastockbrokers.com
NASDAQ
(212) 401-8700
www.nasdaq.com
S&P Dow Jones Indices
(212) 438-2046
spdji_communications(at)mcgraw-hill.com
www.djindexes.com
The Wall Street Journal
(212) 416-2000
nywireroom(at)dowjones.com
http://online.wsj.com
–Researched, compiled & written by Nicholas Testa
Event Dates from CHASE’S Calendar of Events
