Unlike typical financial sites which have already reported that the Dow Jones Industrial Average returned a 'meh' 7.55% from the open on January 1st until the close on the 31st of December, we here at Don't Quit Your Day Job recognize that real investors don't burn their dividend checks when they receive them. With reinvested dividends, the 2014 Dow Jones Industrial Average Return was an even more solid 10.02%.
We also have a Dow Jones Industrial Average Reinvestment calculator which has a monthly resolution.
The 2014 Dow Jones Industrial Average Return
2014 Dow Jones Industrial Average Return: Index vs. reinvested dividends
| 01/01/2014 Open | 12/31/2014 Close | Annual Return | |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average Total Return | 32404.04 | 35650.39 | 10.02% |
| Dow Jones Industrial Index | 16572.17 | 17823.07 | 7.55% |
This is - of course - the correct way to calculate the return a typical investor will have realized. Those investors, of course, can't invest directly in the index though - allow some variance for fees, tax implications, and purchase timings (this is a theoretical maximum). For whatever reason, financial media will report index returns straight up - as if an index like the Dow Jones, with massive industrial bell-weathers and high dividend payments... should or would match the price return of something like a dividend-stingy NASDAQ.
Well, you know better, and we're glad to do the math for you. Also, see our individual stock reinvestment calculator on the site.
See DJIA returns in other years:
- 2023 Dow Jones Industrial Average Return
- 2022 Dow Jones Industrial Average Return
- 2021 Dow Jones Industrial Average Return
- 2020 Dow Jones Industrial Average Return
- 2019 Dow Jones Industrial Average Return
- 2018 Dow Jones Industrial Average Return
- 2017 Dow Jones Industrial Average Return
- 2016 Dow Jones Industrial Average Return
- 2015 Dow Jones Industrial Average Return
Now, tell us the future - how will the Dow Jones Industrial Average perform in 2015?
