What is typically meant when investors or the media refer to the “Dow Jones” or simply “the Dow”?

Ronnie: What is typically meant when investors or the media refer to the “Dow Jones” or simply “the Dow”?
What does it provide investors?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Steve
The Dow Jones industrial average is a composite or combined share price of the 30 largest and most successful U.S. companies. These include companies like Proctor and Gamble, Hewlett Packard, Coca Cola, Walmart etc. Even though there are only 30 companies in the average, the index has done very well in the past in showing the overall price trend of the entire stock market.