The Dow Jones Industrial Average, an American stock index composed of 30 large companies, has changed its components 59 times since its inception, on May 26, 1896. As this is a historical listing, the names here are the full legal name of the corporation on that date, with abbreviations and punctuation according to the corporation's own usage. An up arrow ( â ) indicates the company is added. A down arrow ( â ) indicates the company is removed. A dagger ( â ) indicates a change of corporate name.
The index change was prompted by DJIA constituent Walmart Inc.âÂÂs decision to split its stock 3:1 thereby reducing WalmartâÂÂs index weight due to the price weighted construction of the index. Walmart will remain in the DJIA.
United Technologies Corporation merged with Raytheon Company and new corporation entered index as Raytheon Technologies Corporation.
DowDuPont spun off DuPont and was replaced by Dow Inc.
DuPont merged with the Dow Chemical Company under the name DowDuPont.
The above changes "were prompted by the low stock price of the three companies slated for removal and the Index Committee's desire to diversify the sector and industry group representation of the index."
SBC Communications Inc. was renamed AT&T Inc. after it acquired the original AT&T.
Only name changes occurred. AlliedSignal Incorporated merged with and changed its name to Honeywell International. Exxon Corporation changed its name to Exxon Mobil Corporation upon merging with Mobil, J.P. Morgan & Company changed its name to JPMorgan Chase & Co., Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing changed its name to 3M Company, and Philip Morris Companies Inc. changed its name to Altria Group, Incorporated.
Travelers and Citicorp merge under the name Citigroup.
Bethlehem Steel, Texaco, Westinghouse, and Venator (then known as Woolworth; name changed to Foot Locker in 2001) were replaced by Hewlett-Packard, Johnson & Johnson, Travelers Group, and Wal-Mart Stores.
American Telephone and Telegraph Company changed its name to AT&T Corporation.
American Can Company changed its name to Primerica, International Harvester changed its name to Navistar International Corporation and U.S. Steel changed its name to USX Corporation.
After merging with Signal Corp., Allied Chemical changed its name to Allied-Signal Incorporated and Standard Oil of California changed its name to Chevron Corporation.
International Nickel changed its name to Inco, Swift & Company changed its name to Esmark, Standard Oil (NJ) changed its name to Exxon Corporation, United Aircraft changed its name to United Technologies Corporation.
Texas Company changed its name to Texaco Incorporated. Allied Chemical and Dye Corporation shortened its name to Allied Chemical Corporation.
Wright Aeronautical merged with the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company to become Curtiss-Wright. Postum Inc. changed its name to General Foods.
The index was expanded to thirty companies.<br /> American Car and Foundry, American Locomotive, AT&T, United Drug, U.S. Rubber, and Western Union were replaced.<br /> Atlantic Refining, Bethlehem Steel, Chrysler, General Railway Signal, Goodrich, International Nickel, Nash Motors, North American, Postum Incorporated, Radio Corporation of America, Standard Oil (NJ), Texas Gulf Sulphur, Union Carbide, Victor Talking Machine, Westinghouse Electric, and Wright Aeronautical were added.<br /> Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation changed its name to Paramount Publix.
The index was expanded to twenty companies.<br /> General Motors, National Lead, Peoples Gas and U.S. Steel (Preferred) were removed.<br /> American Beet Sugar, American Can, American Locomotive, AT&T, Baldwin Locomotive, Goodrich, Republic Iron, Studebaker, Texas Company, Utah Copper, Western Union, Westinghouse Electric were added.
Amalgamated Copper reorganized under the name Anaconda Copper.
Peoples Gas absorbs Chicago Gas.
Distilling & Cattle Feeding changed its name to American Spirits Manufacturing.
The First Dow Jones Industrial Average
Only American Sugar carried over from the precursors.
Prior to the May 26, 1896, inception of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Charles Dow's stock average consisted of the Dow Jones Transportation Average. The average was created on July 3, 1884 by Charles Dow, co-founder of Dow Jones & Company, as part of the Customer's Afternoon Letter. From its inception (until May 26, 1896), the Dow Jones Transportation Average consisted of eleven transportation-related companies: nine railroads and two non-rail companies (Western Union and Pacific Mail).
Sources:
Dow Jones Industrial Average Historical Components through 2015