NEW YORK, May 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Dow Jones Indices ("S&P DJI"), one of the world's leading index providers, today proudly celebrates the 120^th anniversary of the Dow Jones Industrial Average^® ("DJIA"), the premier indicator for U.S. stock market performance.

To mark the occasion, the historic Empire State Building in New York City was lit in green and red last night symbolizing the ups (green) and downs (red) of the market, which DJIA has tracked and measured for 120 years. The green spire was meant to reflect an optimistic view of the future.

Additionally, executives of S&P Global and its division, S&P Dow Jones Indices, along with several CFOs of the DJIA companies, will today ring The Closing Bell^® at the New York Stock Exchange.

These events can be followed on Twitter using #Dow120.

"The Dow is one of the great innovations in the history of business and commerce," said Douglas L. Peterson, President and Chief Executive Officer of S&P Global. "The Dow embodies transparency, analytical rigor and integrity and it is those qualities that have been instrumental in its long-term position as the preeminent benchmark of U.S. blue-chip companies."

"For 120 years, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has remained the essential gauge for the economic health of the U.S. market and continues to demonstrate tremendous vitality," said Alexander J. Matturri, Chief Executive Officer of S&P Dow Jones Indices. "The unrivaled reputation, integrity and track record of this benchmark fully reflect the fundamental role that indices play in today's financial market. We proudly trace the root of S&P Dow Jones Indices' success to this very first headline benchmark and the pioneering spirit that our predecessors put forward 120 years ago."

The DJIA is a witness of the evolution of the world's largest economy, having passed countless milestones in its more than century-long history. It took the benchmark 76 years to close for the first time at 1000 points in 1972 but less than a year to reach 10000 from 9000 in 1999, and the speed at which the Index passes each 1000 points has been accelerating. Only one of the original 12 constituents – General Electric Co. – has managed to stay in the Index today, indicating the dramatic change in the U.S. economy over the past 120 years.

To view more interesting DJIA statistics and history please visit: www.spdji.com/djia-120. 

For more information about S&P Dow Jones Indices, please visit www.spdji.com.

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S&P Dow Jones Indices is the largest global resource for essential index-based concepts, data and research, and home to iconic financial market indicators, such as the S&P 500® and the Dow Jones Industrial Average®. More assets are invested in products based on our indices than based on any other provider in the world. With over 1,000,000 indices and more than 120 years of experience constructing innovative and transparent solutions, S&P Dow Jones Indices defines the way investors measure and trade the markets.

S&P Dow Jones Indices is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies, and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit www.spdji.com.

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SOURCE S&P Dow Jones Indices