Can you beat Dow Jones Stocks in a down market?

You can't beat Dow Jones stocks for stability and defense in a down market. By the same token, the blue chip average won't always keep up in a rising market. Case in point: the S&P 500 gained 24% on a price basis last year, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite, which is both riskier and "growthier," rose 43%.

What are the Dow Jones Stocks?

Alcoa is a leading manufacturer of aluminum and other materials used in cars and various industrial goods. Chevron and ExxonMobil are large oil and gas producers, and Johnson & Johnson and Merck are leaders in lead pharmaceutical research and manufacturing. The remaining Dow stocks are UnitedHealth Group, Pfizer and DuPont.

Why did the Dow close sharply lower Wednesday?

Investing.com-- The Dow closed sharply lower Wednesday, driven by rising Treasury yields and weakness in industrials as airlines stocks fell sharply on concerns about demand after... June is expected to be another eventful month on Wall Street amid a trio of key market-moving events.