The esteemed benchmark for the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (NYSEArca: DIA) is undergoing its biggest shakeup since 2004 but the fund will keep its bias to high-quality companies, according to investment research firm Morningstar.
Earlier this week, S&P Dow Jones Indices said Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), Visa (NYSE: V) and Nike (NYSE: NKE) will join the index on Monday, Sept. 23. Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) and Alcoa (NYSE: AA) will get the boot. [Why Apple and Google Didn’t Join the Dow]
“Because the index weights its constituents by their share price, rather than by market capitalization, these changes will have a significant impact,” writes Morningstar fund analyst Alex Bryan.
“Both Visa and Goldman Sachs currently trade above $150, which will make them two of the index’s top three holdings,” he added. “They will also help take some of the weight out of IBM, which currently represents more than 9% of the index. In contrast, the three departing stocks account for less than 2.5% of the index combined.”
The Dow, which has been around since 1896, holds 30 stocks total.