I wonder who actually does care about the Dow? Are there actually a lot of investors that don't know any better? Or is it just people who think the stock market is important (itself questionable) but don't know anything about it?
Or is it just people who think the stock market is important (itself questionable) but don't know anything about it?
As a kid, for many years, the first and only exposure I had to the concept of the stock market was the clockwork reference to DJIA on public radio or tv. I think the founding of the exchange might have been mentioned in school, too (and not much else).
So, later in life, when I wanted to understand things better, I started reading about the Dow and picking it apart. It was an entry point for me; I assume it must have been for many others as well.
Now that I have more knowledge, I question - as you apparently do - whether any of it is worth getting too deeply involved in for the average person. Still, I'm glad I know more about it now, and I do think we need far better financial literacy built into our school system.
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Actually, both the DJIA and the S&P 500 (the index that's actually worth a damn) are produced by the same entity these days: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S&P_Dow_Jones_Indices
I wonder who actually does care about the Dow? Are there actually a lot of investors that don't know any better? Or is it just people who think the stock market is important (itself questionable) but don't know anything about it?
As a kid, for many years, the first and only exposure I had to the concept of the stock market was the clockwork reference to DJIA on public radio or tv. I think the founding of the exchange might have been mentioned in school, too (and not much else).
So, later in life, when I wanted to understand things better, I started reading about the Dow and picking it apart. It was an entry point for me; I assume it must have been for many others as well.
Now that I have more knowledge, I question - as you apparently do - whether any of it is worth getting too deeply involved in for the average person. Still, I'm glad I know more about it now, and I do think we need far better financial literacy built into our school system.