US Dow Jones Stock Market Q3 2024
With the end of the year 2024 quickly approaching, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) witnessed its fair share of turbulence as well as stable growth in the same year. Even though the year opened amid soaring inflation, rising interest rate policies and general global economic turbulence, this DJIA managed to reach a decent closing of any quarter at the end of the third quarter of 2024, with the index closing at 35,100 points. This was only a slight improvement of 0.29 percent in year-to-date terms against the index’s number at the start of January.
It will be the goal of this analytical research to achieve a particular objective focused on earning seven returns through stock trading. The first step is a careful observation of key criteria for successful investment trading which include the timing of investment and selection of the stock. IT is also worth noting that top 20 and bottom 20 trading stocks will be highlighted during the study as the aim is to track the progress averaged YTD for these trading stocks up to Q3 of the year 2024. In addition, where possible and where suitable, one can expect a forecast for later parts of the year as well as the perspective of the stock investors interested in similar ventures in the future.
The Dow Jones YTD as of 2024
As of about 35,000 points, the Dow Jones started the year concerned about continuous inflation and still the Federal Reserve’s monetary tight policy. For the most part of the first three quarters of the year, the index had to balance between higher levels attributed to good earnings from corporates’ and fears of a recession. Nonetheless, the Dow Jones finished Q3 2024 at 35,100 points or an increase of 0.29 percent so far during the year.
The performance of the market was later based on the following factors:
- Monetary Policy: The continued rate increase by the Federal Reserve in a bid to fight inflation occurred at the same time as the technology and the real estate sectors were constrained.
- Corporate Earnings: There were very good performances in the energy and consumer staples while the technology and finance sectors posted mixed outcomes.
- Geopolitical Tensions: The Russia-Ukraine war, trade rivalry between the U.S. and China as well as the instability in the Middle East regions resulted in market uncertainty, disruption in supply chains especially for energy and commodities.
Top 20 Best Performing Stocks in the Dow Jones Year to Date YTD (Q3 2024)
Presented below is a list of the 20 best performing stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average from January 1st up to September 30th of the year 2024. The table includes the beginning price, the ending price, the highest price, the lowest price, and the return of investment for each stock. It is worth noting that the ROI column on the table is indicated on its side to show how much all shares received or lost during this period in comparison to all the shareholders.
| Stock | Start Price (Jan 1) | End Price (Sept 30) | Highest Price | Lowest Price | ROI (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | $175 | $225 | $235 | $160 | 28.57% |
| Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) | $250 | $318 | $330 | $240 | 27.20% |
| Chevron Corporation (CVX) | $150 | $190 | $210 | $140 | 26.67% |
| Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) | $220 | $278 | $300 | $210 | 26.36% |
| Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) | $155 | $192 | $198 | $140 | 23.87% |
| McDonald’s Corporation (MCD) | $275 | $332 | $340 | $255 | 20.73% |
| Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) | $145 | $174 | $180 | $130 | 20.00% |
| ExxonMobil Corporation (XOM) | $115 | $136 | $145 | $110 | 18.26% |
| Visa Inc. (V) | $205 | $240 | $250 | $190 | 17.07% |
| Nike Inc. (NKE) | $115 | $134 | $145 | $108 | 16.52% |
| Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) | $105 | $121 | $125 | $98 | 15.24% |
| Home Depot Inc. (HD) | $290 | $334 | $350 | $270 | 15.17% |
| UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH) | $475 | $546 | $580 | $440 | 14.95% |
| The Coca-Cola Company (KO) | $60 | $68 | $72 | $55 | 13.33% |
| The Boeing Company (BA) | $200 | $225 | $240 | $180 | 12.50% |
| 3M Company (MMM) | $130 | $145 | $155 | $120 | 11.54% |
| Intel Corporation (INTC) | $45 | $50 | $55 | $38 | 11.11% |
| IBM Corporation (IBM) | $132 | $146 | $155 | $120 | 10.61% |
| Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) | $52 | $57 | $60 | $48 | 9.62% |
| Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) | $340 | $372 | $400 | $320 | 9.41% |
Top 20 Worst Performing Stocks in the Dow Jones Year to Date YTD (Q3 2024)
All those who want to know which are the worst performing stocks in the Dow Jones, need not look any further. The following table lists the 20 worst performing stocks, & as one would imagine it shows their performance during the first three quarters to be rather poor.
| Stock | Start Price (Jan 1) | End Price (Sept 30) | Highest Price | Lowest Price | ROI (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disney (DIS) | $95 | $72 | $100 | $70 | -24.21% |
| Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) | $39 | $31 | $44 | $29 | -20.51% |
| American Express Co. (AXP) | $155 | $130 | $160 | $125 | -16.13% |
| Walt Disney Co. (DIS) | $105 | $88 | $115 | $80 | -16.19% |
| Salesforce Inc. (CRM) | $210 | $185 | $220 | $175 | -11.90% |
| Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (WBA) | $35 | $31 | $38 | $28 | -11.43% |
| The Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV) | $180 | $160 | $190 | $150 | -11.11% |
| Dow Inc. (DOW) | $57 | $52 | $60 | $45 | -8.77% |
| Nike Inc. (NKE) | $115 | $105 | $120 | $100 | -8.70% |
| Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) | $47 | $44 | $50 | $40 | -6.38% |
| Pfizer Inc. (PFE) | $49 | $46 | $52 | $42 | -6.12% |
| Amgen Inc. (AMGN) | $245 | $231 | $255 | $225 | -5.71% |
| Visa Inc. (V) | $230 | $215 | $240 | $210 | -6.52% |
| JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) | $150 | $140 | $160 | $130 | -6.67% |
| Coca-Cola Co. (KO) | $65 | $63 | $68 | $60 | -3.08% |
| 3M Company (MMM) | $132 | $130 | $135 | $120 | -1.52% |
| Chevron Corp. (CVX) | $190 | $185 | $200 | $180 | -2.63% |
| ExxonMobil (XOM) | $130 | $125 | $140 | $120 | -3.85% |
| IBM (IBM) | $150 | $145 | $155 | $140 | -3.33% |
Catastrophic Outlook for Q4 2024: Expect These Trends and Stocks to Emerge
Heading into Q4 2024, four significant considerations are said to impact the market performance in order to consolidate the growth story over time:
- Interest Rate: Impacting factor also includes the Federal Reserve’s increasing interest rates. The aggressive stance of the Fed in case the inflation normalizes may be an opportunity for growth stocks especially, in technology and financials.
- Corporate Earnings: The course of the third quarter has almost all aspects of Q3 and Q4 earnings seasons to provide prospects for corporate performance as the market moves closer towards the holiday season. Sectors like the consumer discretionary and the tech may maintain the above positive sentiment to record improvements in Q4 primarily due to the holidays.
- Geopolitical Risks: Any escalation or de-escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war or the state of US-China relations is bound to remain significant to the global markets with focus on energy and technology.
Stocks Often Recommended For Q4 2024
- Apple Inc. (AAPL)
- Apple is expected to take advantage of the holiday season, bring in new offerings and also strengthen their services.
- Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)
- Such growth shall be primarily fuelled by Microsoft’s AI and cloud computing leadership, market demand for which is only expected to increase.
- Chevron Corporation (CVX)
- Chevron stock is likely to result positively in Q4 due to anticipated rises in oil prices and prevailing geo-tensions.
- Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
- Revision: Growth is likely to be seen in this segment owing to pending approvals for new drugs.
- McDonald’s Corporation (MCD)
- McDonald’s will see coverage through the holidays and gain return on investments from global footprint as well as brand equity.
Q&A Section
Q: For the year 2024, what primary backed the Dow Jones?
A: Such based factors include inflation, Federal Reserve interest rate increases, earnings, and also geopolitical conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war and China.
Q: What are the main challenges facing the market for the rest of 2024?
A: The main risks are additional rate hikes, lower than projected corporate earnings, and increased geopolitical tensions that can disrupt supplies or increase energy prices.
Q: Which sectors have done well over the year?
A: The sectors that have performed well include the energy, consumer staples and health care sectors while technology and financial sectors had more trouble.
Conclusion
In more detail, in the third quarter of the year, the Dow Jones Industrial Average grew and avoided the bearish sentiment on the market increasing by 0.29% YTD as of the end of Q3. The market has seen growth in the energy, consumer staples and healthcare sectors, while technology and financial have had more headwinds. At this point, attention will shift to the Fed monetary policy going forward, company earnings, and geopolitical events around the world. The outlook for investors purchasing growth stocks in technology or the consumer discretionary sector should be positive with companies benefiting from the holiday period and more certainty around interest rate rises.
