Legal Definitions - Dow

DOW

DOW is short for Dow Jones Industrial Average, which is a stock market index that measures the performance of 30 large publicly traded companies in the United States.

Some examples of companies included in the DOW are Apple, Coca-Cola, and Goldman Sachs.

When people say "the DOW is up" or "the DOW is down," they are referring to the overall performance of these 30 companies in the stock market.

For example, if the DOW is up, it means that the stock prices of these 30 companies have increased, which is generally seen as a positive sign for the economy. On the other hand, if the DOW is down, it means that the stock prices of these companies have decreased, which can be a sign of economic uncertainty or instability.