The Dow Jones Industrial Average has gained 12.7% in the first half of the year thanks to the accelerating reopening of the economy and favorable fiscal and monetary policies. As such, we think it could be worth watching Dow stocks American Express (AXP) and Goldman Sachs (GS) because they contributed significantly to driving the index’s performance in the first half. Read on.The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) has delivered solid performance so far this year, hitting its 35,091.56 all-time high on May 10, 2021. With the fast-paced reopening of industrial activities, and favorable fiscal and monetary policies, the widely watched benchmark index has gained 11.7% year-to-date. The index gained 12.7% in the first half of the year.
Along with the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq, the DJIA hovered near its all-time high yesterday, with the Federal Open Market Committee’s June meeting minutes signaling a split on the timing for rolling back crisis-era monetary policies. With a string of positive economic reports, DJIA is expected to continue gaining in the second half of 2021.
Given this backdrop, we think it could be wise to watch the best performing Dow stocks in the first half of the year—American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) and The Goldman Sachs Group , Inc. (NYSE:GS).