We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. By pressing "Accept All" or closing out of this banner, you accept our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, revised from time to time, and you consent to the use of all cookies and similar technologies and the sharing of information they collect with third parties. You can reject marketing cookies by pressing "Deny Optional," but we still use essential, performance, and functional cookies.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Dow Jones ETF DIA Outperforms in January: Here's Why
Read MoreHide Full Article
The Dow Jones-based exchange-traded fund (ETF) SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA - Free Report) has gained about 6% in January (as of Jan. 30, 2025). In comparison, the S&P 500 advanced 3.5% in January, and the Nasdaq Composite added 2.1%.
Let’s find out what drove the rally in the Dow Jones.
Less Tech Exposure
Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK - Free Report) added only 0.1% in January (as of Jan. 30, 2025) due to the DeepSeek rout and growing worries over the profitability of Big Tech’s big AI investments. DeepSeek, a Chinese startup developing AI models, grabbed headlines with the release of its new R1 model in late January. According to Yahoo Finance, the company revealed that training the R1 model cost just $5.6 million, significantly less compared to the $100 million required to train OpenAI's GPT-4 model.
The Dow Jones focuses about 20% on the Information Technology sector while the S&P 500 has about 30% focus on the tech sector and the Nasdaq has about 60% exposure to it. As a result, during the tech rout of January, the Dow Jones was less hit.
Upbeat Big Bank Earnings
Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF - Free Report) added about 7.4% in January. An improved interest rate outlook and upbeat big bank earnings helped the space surge. The Dow Jones puts the highest exposure to this sector and, as a result, benefited the most. Note that the Dow Jones’ largest holding — Goldman Sachs (GS - Free Report) shares — jumped about 12% in January.
Trump 2.0 in 2025
The year 2025 is likely to bring many surprises in the form of the Trump 2.0 era, its impact on global trade and inflation, and the resultant Fed moves. If Trump’s protectionist agenda and tariff war drive up domestic inflation, we may see hawkishness in the Fed’s ongoing dovish stance. The rate cuts in 2025 may be lower in terms of both frequency and magnitude.
A less-dovish Fed and a high-rate environment will likely be more detrimental to the high-growth tech stocks than value-centric financials stocks. And since the Dow Jones has a better value quotient than the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, the former could fare better in the initial months of 2025.
Wall of Worry for the Dow Jones
The future of one of the largest Dow Jones components — (UNH - Free Report) — is uncertain in the Trump era. Although the health insurance companies’ shares gained 8% in January, Trump said, “We're going to knock out the middleman.” This very comment and some related government stances may go against the UNH stock anytime soon.
The Dow Jones’ largest exposure is in financial stocks. If the geopolitical risks rise in the Trump 2.0 era due to the tariff war, we may see a subdued increase in long-term U.S. treasury bond yields, resulting in the flattening of the yield curve. Financials underperform in such a scenario.
Bottom Line
So, overall, the Dow Jones’ performance should be moderate-to-upbeat in 2025, if not great. Investors can keep a close tab on the DIA ETF. The current period of high interest rates is proving more favorable for the Dow Jones than for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.
Holding 30 blue-chip stocks, the fund DIA is widely spread across components, with each having less than an 8.77% share. Financials (24.8%), information technology (19.9%), healthcare (14.7%), consumer discretionary (13.98%), and industrials (12.9%) are the top five sectors.
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Image: Shutterstock
Dow Jones ETF DIA Outperforms in January: Here's Why
The Dow Jones-based exchange-traded fund (ETF) SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA - Free Report) has gained about 6% in January (as of Jan. 30, 2025). In comparison, the S&P 500 advanced 3.5% in January, and the Nasdaq Composite added 2.1%.
Let’s find out what drove the rally in the Dow Jones.
Less Tech Exposure
Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK - Free Report) added only 0.1% in January (as of Jan. 30, 2025) due to the DeepSeek rout and growing worries over the profitability of Big Tech’s big AI investments. DeepSeek, a Chinese startup developing AI models, grabbed headlines with the release of its new R1 model in late January. According to Yahoo Finance, the company revealed that training the R1 model cost just $5.6 million, significantly less compared to the $100 million required to train OpenAI's GPT-4 model.
This raises important questions about AI investment and the potential rise of more cost-efficient artificial intelligence agents, which could disrupt the current market dynamics (read: Will 2025 See Slowing AI Investments in Big Tech? ETFs in Focus).
The Dow Jones focuses about 20% on the Information Technology sector while the S&P 500 has about 30% focus on the tech sector and the Nasdaq has about 60% exposure to it. As a result, during the tech rout of January, the Dow Jones was less hit.
Upbeat Big Bank Earnings
Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF - Free Report) added about 7.4% in January. An improved interest rate outlook and upbeat big bank earnings helped the space surge. The Dow Jones puts the highest exposure to this sector and, as a result, benefited the most. Note that the Dow Jones’ largest holding — Goldman Sachs (GS - Free Report) shares — jumped about 12% in January.
Trump 2.0 in 2025
The year 2025 is likely to bring many surprises in the form of the Trump 2.0 era, its impact on global trade and inflation, and the resultant Fed moves. If Trump’s protectionist agenda and tariff war drive up domestic inflation, we may see hawkishness in the Fed’s ongoing dovish stance. The rate cuts in 2025 may be lower in terms of both frequency and magnitude.
A less-dovish Fed and a high-rate environment will likely be more detrimental to the high-growth tech stocks than value-centric financials stocks. And since the Dow Jones has a better value quotient than the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, the former could fare better in the initial months of 2025.
Wall of Worry for the Dow Jones
The future of one of the largest Dow Jones components — (UNH - Free Report) — is uncertain in the Trump era. Although the health insurance companies’ shares gained 8% in January, Trump said, “We're going to knock out the middleman.” This very comment and some related government stances may go against the UNH stock anytime soon.
The Dow Jones’ largest exposure is in financial stocks. If the geopolitical risks rise in the Trump 2.0 era due to the tariff war, we may see a subdued increase in long-term U.S. treasury bond yields, resulting in the flattening of the yield curve. Financials underperform in such a scenario.
Bottom Line
So, overall, the Dow Jones’ performance should be moderate-to-upbeat in 2025, if not great. Investors can keep a close tab on the DIA ETF. The current period of high interest rates is proving more favorable for the Dow Jones than for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.
Holding 30 blue-chip stocks, the fund DIA is widely spread across components, with each having less than an 8.77% share. Financials (24.8%), information technology (19.9%), healthcare (14.7%), consumer discretionary (13.98%), and industrials (12.9%) are the top five sectors.