How to invest in the Dow Jones

How you can buy the granddaddy of stock indices from Australia.

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Thomas Stelzer

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Kylie Purcell

Updated

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Key takeaways

  • Australians can invest in the Dow Jones via ETFs through brokers offering US stock access.
  • The Dow historically returned 10.9% annually but has recently lagged the S&P 500 and Nasdaq.
  • Investing in a Dow Jones ETF incurs a small annual fee unlike expensive direct share purchases.

Can I invest in the Dow Jones in Australia?

Yes, there are 2 main ways to trade or invest in the Dow Jones from Australia:

  1. Invest in an exchange-traded fund (ETF) or index fund that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average index.
  2. Buy shares in the 30 individual companies listed on the Dow Jones index (but this can be an expensive and time-consuming way to invest).

To buy US-listed stocks or ETFs from Australia, you'll need to open an account with a trading platform that offers US stocks.

How to invest in the Dow Jones

  1. Choose an index fund or ETF that tracks the Dow. Some index funds track the performance of all 30 Dow stocks, whereas others only track a certain number of stocks or are weighted more towards specific stocks. You should select the fund that best suits your investment goals.
  2. Open a share-trading account. Once you've selected the fund you'd like to buy, you'll need to open a trading account with a broker or platform that offers it. Different brokers have different fee structures, so it's worth researching which platform best suits your needs before investing. You can compare trading platforms below.
  3. Deposit funds. Once you've set up an account, you'll need to deposit funds. Depending on which broker you use, you may need to pay a forex fee when you deposit money.
  4. Buy the index fund. Once your account is set up and funded, you can buy the Dow Jones index fund. You generally pay a small annual fee in order to invest in an index fund or ETF.

DJIA live price

How does the Dow Jones work?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), also known as the Dow, is a stock market index that tracks the stock performance of 30 of the largest companies on US stock exchanges.

The Dow is also not weighted by market capitalisation and does not use a weighted arithmetic mean. It is maintained by S&P Dow Jones Indices and is the second-oldest US market index, having launched in 1896.

Unlike the S&P 500 or Nasdaq 100, the stocks that make up the Dow Jones are manually selected by a committee.

Should I invest in the Dow?

The Dow is an index of 30 of the largest and most successful companies on US stock exchanges.

Historically it has been a sensible investment option and has returned around 10.9% annually since 1990.

However, in recent years it has been outperformed by the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy NASDAQ index.

Because it only tracks the performance of 30 manually-selected stocks, many critics argue it doesn't accurately represent the overall performance of the stock market.

Investing in Dow Jones ETFs and index funds

There are no Dow Jones ETFs listed directly on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), but it's still relatively easy to invest in a Dow Jones ETF from Australia.

You'll just need an account with a trading platform that offers access to the US stock market and Dow Jones ETFs.

The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA) is the most popular Dow Jones ETF and has an annual management fee of 0.16%. You can invest in the Dow Jones DIA ETF on platforms like Stake, Interactive Brokers, Tiger Brokers, moomoo and eToro.

There are other ETFs that track the performance of the Dow Jones index, including:

  • iShares Dow Jones Industrial Average UCITS ETF (Acc)
  • Amundi Dow Jones Industrial Average UCITS ETF Dist
  • ProShares Ultra Dow30 ETF (DDM) (leveraged ETF)

Compare share trading platforms offering Dow Jones ETFs

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Finder Score AU Trading Fee US Trading Fee Asset Class
9.6 Excellent
$3.00
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ASX shares, Global shares, Options trading, US shares, ETFs
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Trade major markets with built-in social trading tools.
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US$2.00
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Finder Rewards: Join Finder then sign up to Tiger Brokers through Finder, deposit $2,000 within 7 days and complete a qualifying BUY trade within 20 days to receive a $120 digital Visa gift card. Ends 31 Dec 2026. T&Cs apply.

Deposit any amount and receive $20 to trade in Tiger Brokers. Plus 4x zero brokerage trades and no FX fees on the first $2,000 you exchange every month. T&Cs apply.
Trade US, Asian and CHESS-sponsored ASX stocks, China A-class shares, plus US and Hong Kong options and ETFs.
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Webull
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Finder Rewards: Join Finder then sign up to Webull as a new customer, deposit at least $2,000 in a single transaction and place at least 1 BUY order for a US-listed stock or ETF to receive a $150 digital Visa gift card. Ends 2 Dec 2026. T&Cs apply.

Bonus offer: Get up to 25,000 bonus Qantas Points on eligible Webull deposits and share transfers by 31 Jan 2027. Plus, earn monthly points on your international trades. T&Cs apply.
Invest in over 15,000 shares, options, and $0 Brokerage on all U.S. and Australian Chess-Sponsored ETFs.
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Trade 40,000+ listed securities across the local markets and 15 major global exchanges.
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Finder Score for share trading platforms

We've scored over 30 share trading platforms assessing them for their core features, fees, customer experience and accessibility. Our experts give each platform a score out of 10.

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Important: The standard brokerage fee displayed is the trade cost for new customers to purchase $1,000 of either Australian or US shares. Where a platform charges different fees for both US and Australian shares we show the lower of the two. Where both CHESS sponsored and custodian shares are offered, we display the cheapest option.

Investing in Dow Jones stocks

The alternative way to invest in the Dow Jones is to buy stocks in the listed companies directly. You could choose to buy one share in each of the 30 companies in the Dow or select a few stocks to buy.

However, while this method gives you direct exposure to the companies in the Dow Jones, it's likely to be an expensive way to invest. Many of the stocks in the Dow are worth hundreds of US dollars, so if you wanted to buy at least one stock in each company, you'd be looking at investing significant money.

Depending on which broker or trading platform you use in Australia, you may also be charged for each individual stock you buy, and these trading fees can often wipe out any potential profit you make. In comparison, you only pay a small annual fee when you buy an ETF, but your investment will still be tied to the performance of the Dow.

You can also trade the Dow Jones via derivatives such as futures contracts, which let you predict how the index will perform over a certain period.

Finder survey: Have Australians of different ages bought overseas stocks?

Response75+ yrs65-74 yrs55-64 yrs45-54 yrs35-44 yrs25-34 yrs18-24 yrs
Australia29.85%23.43%24.69%25.56%23.29%28.11%12.63%
Other5.97%4%1.23%0.56%0.4%1.05%
US2.99%4%7.41%12.22%12.05%9.22%7.37%
NZ1.49%0.57%1.61%1.84%
UK1.49%1.14%3.09%1.11%1.2%1.84%1.05%
China/Hong Kong0.57%0.62%0.56%3.21%1.38%2.11%
Europe (EU)0.57%1.23%2.01%1.38%1.05%
Canada1.23%1.67%1.2%1.38%1.05%
Japan0.62%0.56%2.01%1.84%1.05%
India0.56%0.4%0.92%1.05%
Singapore0.56%1.61%0.92%1.05%
Africa & Middle East1.05%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1145 Australians, December 2023

How to trade the Dow Jones index

It's possible to actively trade the Dow Jones using contracts for difference (CFDs). When you trade CFD indices, you're betting on the future price movements of the index.

This means you have the potential to earn a profit regardless of whether the index is rising or falling. This is sometimes called "futures" trading.

As CFD traders typically use leverage, both profits and losses are amplified. For this reason, CFDs are considered to be high-risk and only for experienced investors in Australia.

You can find out more about this in our comprehensive guide to CFD trading.

What companies are in the Dow Jones (DJIA)?

This is a list of all 30 companies that currently make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

The latest change to the index took effect on 29 June 2026, when Alphabet replaced Verizon Communications.3

This list was last updated on 14 October 2026.4

CompanyExchangeStock codeIndustry
3MNYSENYSE: MMMConglomerate
Alphabet Inc.NasdaqNASDAQ: GOOGLCommunication services
Amazon.com IncNasdaqNASDAQ: AMZNBroadline retail
American ExpressNYSENYSE: AXPFinancial services
AmgenNasdaqNASDAQ: AMGNPharmaceuticals
Apple Inc.NasdaqNASDAQ: AAPLInformation technology
BoeingNYSENYSE: BAAerospace and arms
Caterpillar Inc.NYSENYSE: CATConstruction/Mining
Chevron CorporationNYSENYSE: CVXPetroleum industry
Cisco SystemsNasdaqNASDAQ: CSCOInformation technology
The Coca-Cola CompanyNYSENYSE: KOFood industry
Goldman SachsNYSENYSE: GSFinancial services
The Home DepotNYSENYSE: HDRetailing
Honeywell International IncNasdaqNASDAQ: HONConglomerate
IBMNYSENYSE: IBMInformation technology
Johnson & JohnsonNYSENYSE: JNJPharmaceuticals
JPMorgan ChaseNYSENYSE: JPMFinancial services
McDonald'sNYSENYSE: MCDFood industry
Merck & Co.NYSENYSE: MRKPharmaceuticals
MicrosoftNasdaqNASDAQ: MSFTInformation technology
NikeNYSENYSE: NKEApparel
NvidiaNasdaqNASDAQ: NVDAInformation technology
Procter & GambleNYSENYSE: PGConsumer
SalesforceNYSENYSE: CRMInformation technology
Sherwin-WilliamsNYSENYSE: SHWChemical industry
The Travelers CompaniesNYSENYSE: TRVFinancial services
UnitedHealth GroupNYSENYSE: UNHManaged health care
Visa Inc.NYSENYSE: VFinancial services
WalmartNasdaqNASDAQ: WMTRetailing
The Walt Disney CompanyNYSENYSE: DISBroadcasting/entertainment
Important information: Powered by Finder.com.au. This information is general in nature and is no substitute for professional advice. It does not take into account your personal situation. This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of futures, stocks, ETFs, CFDs, options or any specific provider, service or offering. It should not be relied upon as investment advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks, ETFs and options trading involves substantial risk of loss and therefore are not appropriate for most investors. You do not own or have any interest in the underlying asset. Capital is at risk, including the risk of losing more than the amount originally put in, market volatility and liquidity risks. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Tax on profits may apply. Consider the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determination for the product on the provider's website. Consider your own circumstances, including whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money and possess the relevant experience and knowledge. We recommend that you obtain independent advice from a suitably licensed financial advisor before making any trades.
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Tom Stelzer is a journalist with 6 years of experience covering personal finance, specialising in investment and cryptocurrency. With a Master of Media Arts and Production and a Bachelor of Communications in Journalism from the University of Technology Sydney, Tom provides expert analysis on digital assets and market trends, helping readers navigate the fast-evolving world of finance. See full bio

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Kylie Purcell is an experienced investments analyst and finance journalist with over a decade of expertise in a wide range of financial products, including online trading platforms, robo-advisors, stocks, ETFs and cryptocurrencies. She is a sought-after commentator and regularly shares her insights on the AFR, Yahoo Finance, The Motley Fool, SBS and News.com.au. Kylie hosts the Investment Finder video series and actively contributes to the investment community as a judge and panellist. She holds a Master of Arts in International Journalism, a Graduate Diploma in Economics, and ASIC-recognised certifications in securities and managed investments. See full bio

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