Mar 19, 2020 - Economy & Business

The market is not quite as bad as the Dow makes it look

Data: FactSet; Chart: Axios Visuals

One high-profile group of stocks has been doing particularly badly during the coronavirus crisis — the 30 companies that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

The state of play: The Dow stocks are down 33% over the past month, compared with a 30% decline for the S&P 500, and a 24% drop for the more tech-focused Nasdaq. On up days and down days the Dow has generally underperformed the market as a whole.

Why it matters: The Dow is often the first indicator that Americans look to when they want to understand what's happening in the stock market. But the Dow companies represent only a small minority of U.S. stock-market capitalization.

The Dow is an average rather than an index, which means companies with higher share prices have outsized influence on its moves.
In particular, Boeing has weighed heavily on the Dow.

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Felix Salmon

Thank Boeing for sending the Dow into bear territory

Data: FactSet; Chart: Axios Visuals

The broad U.S. stock market was not (quite) in an official bear market as of the close of trade on Wednesday — but the Dow Jones Industrial Average was. Thank Boeing for that.

By the numbers: Boeing's share price has fallen from $440 in March last year to $162 in early trade on Thursday. That's a drop of $278 per share.

Go deeperMar 12, 2020 - Economy & Business

Courtenay Brown

Stocks sink 4% as Dow closes in bear market

Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Stocks fell more than 4% on Wednesday, with the Dow closing in bear market territory — or 20% below the record high hit in February.

Why it matters: The Dow's steep drop ends one major index's record 11-year stretch without a 20% decline, as Wall Street grapples with just how bad the coronavirus will be for the global economy. The S&P 500 is about 30 points away from hitting bear market territory.

Go deeperUpdated Mar 11, 2020 - Economy & Business

Courtenay Brown

Stocks drop 4% to end worst week since 2008

Photo: Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images

Stocks closed more than 4% lower on Friday, with the S&P 500 shedding 4.3%, the Dow dropping 4.6% (or 927 points), and the Nasdaq falling 3.7%.

Why it matters: It caps a bruising week for Wall Street — you'd have to go back to 2008 to see worse losses — as the coronavirus outbreak forces more of the world's biggest economies to shut down.

Go deeperMar 20, 2020 - Economy & Business