Interactive chart comparing the percentage return of the Dow Jones Industrial Average vs the NASDAQ Composite Index back to 1971. Values shown are month-end closing values.

Backtest by Curvo is the best backtesting simulator for European index investors. Discover the historical performance of your portfolio and compare it to others.

Backtest by Curvo is the best backtesting simulator for European index investors. Discover the historical performance of your portfolio and compare it to others.

April 10, 2025 - The Nasdaq indexes are usually cited as a reference to the performance of technology stocks, but stocks from various industries are included in the Nasdaq averages. The S&P 500 includes 500 large, U.S.-based publicly traded companies, including all those listed in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, regardless of the stock exchange that is home to their trading activity.

However, the market has bounced back over the last 10 years with each index growing 135% (S&P 500), 114% (Dow), and 143% (Nasdaq) in real terms. The SPY ETF is designed to track the performance of the S&P 500.

19 hours ago - The S&P 500 fell 0.03% to 6,929.94, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.09% to 23,593.10. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also slipped 20.19 points, or 0.04%, to 48,710.97.

Interactive chart showing the ratio of the NASDAQ Composite Index to the Dow Jones Industrial Average. A high ratio tends to mark periods of extreme bullishness as high momentum technology stocks attract far more investor funds than more traditional industrial companies as reflected in the DJIA.

Find the best index: Nasdaq 100 vs Dow Jones Industrial Average - compare performance and key attributes

January 12, 2018 - The Nasdaq has earned its reputation as technology's home field, making it a good barometer for how tech stocks and growth companies are performing. When investors want to gauge the health of the sectors pushing the technological edge—from AI to biotechnology—they often look to the Nasdaq first. The Dow reflects the U.S. economy through renowned companies in sectors like banking, retail, and manufacturing. Investors can't directly buy "the Dow" or "the Nasdaq," but they can invest in funds that mimic these indexes. ETFs like the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA) track the Dow, while the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) follows the Nasdaq-100, a subset of the largest Nasdaq companies.

February 25, 2025 - It rep4resents 80% of the US market, but performance is similar. Neither the DJIA nor Nasdaq are representative of the market as a whole. ... You could also look at one of dividend optimized ETFs and funds focusing on DOW, NASDAQ, or S&P stocks if you prioritize dividends.

Here are two overlays — one with ... 28, all three indexes are up from the last day of March with the Dow up 2.5%, the S&P up 1.5%, and the Nasdaq up 0.04%....

June 23, 2025 - NASDAQ is based on the company’s outstanding stock value, i.e., on multiple companies’ index market capitalization. Dow Jones is a price-weighted average index indicating that any stock split or adjustment is not considered in the average price computation.

December 17, 2024 - The Dow is a price-weighted index, which means the companies with higher stock prices have a larger impact on the index’s performance. This is unlike market capitalization-weighted indices, where the company’s value plays a crucial role. The Dow takes the total price of its 30 stocks and divides it by an adjusted divisor. This change accounts for stock splits and dividends, preventing these actions from skewing the index. The Nasdaq: This index includes over 3,000 stocks of both tech and non-tech companies.

December 29, 2021 - The NASDAQ 100 is known for having a more technology leaning bias, which makes up over half of the index's weight. The NASDAQ 100 is much more diverse than the more traditional Dow, but still with its limitations considering the stock market ...

However, the market has bounced back over the last 10 years with each index growing 131% (S&P 500), 109% (Dow), and 137% (Nasdaq) in real terms. The SPY ETF is designed to track the performance of the S&P 500.

November 25, 2024 - The Nasdaq emphasizes technology and growth, making it more volatile, while the S&P 500 offers a balanced view of the economy by tracking roughly 500 large and mid-cap companies across diverse sectors.

October 2, 2025 - No, they are not. Since the Nasdaq is a stock exchange, its performance depends on how all individual stocks listed on the exchange are faring. In the case of the Dow Jones, since it is a market index, its performance is judged on the overall ...

January 21, 2025 - The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones, on the other hand, are market indices that track the performance of a select group of stocks, with the S&P 500 being more diversified and encompassing a larger number of companies compared to the DJIA.

June 23, 2025 - Each one examines a specific group of companies to give an idea of the overall market's performance. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is the oldest or just "the Dow" for short. It's existed since 1896, way before computers or even televisions were invented! The Dow only looks at 30 big, well-known American companies. These are household names like Apple, Coca-Cola, and Nike. It's like checking in on the biggest players to see how they're doing. The Nasdaq is a bit different.

But tech's performance is already priced in by other market participants, so what do you know about tech that everyone else doesn't? My though was 10 k in each index per year and rebalance at years end. Is this a good strategy? It's more complicated than it needs to be. If you invest in all 3 of S&P, DJIA, and NASDAQ you're just recreating the total stock market.