What Is DIA? SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust

Short answer

DIA is the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust, a fund that tracks the Dow Jones Industrial Average at a 0.16% expense ratio. It holds 30 large, established US companies and is price-weighted rather than market-cap-weighted, so higher-priced stocks carry more influence. Versus VOO, DIA is far more concentrated (30 names vs 500) and tilts toward established blue-chip companies rather than mega-cap technology.

Ticker
DIA
Issuer
State Street SPDR
Tracks
Dow Jones Industrial Average
Expense ratio
0.16%
AUM
~$38 billion
YTD return
See chart
Dividend yield
~1.6%
Inception
January 1998
Stats as of early 2026. Live prices and current performance show inside Walnut once you connect a broker.

What does DIA hold? (top 10)

Approximate weights as of early 2026; refresh quarterly from the issuer's fund page. Tickers link to the individual stock guide in Walnut.

RankTickerCompany% of DIA
1GSGoldman Sachs~8%
2MSFTMicrosoft~6%
3CATCaterpillar~6%
4HDHome Depot~5%
5VVisa~5%
6UNHUnitedHealth Group~5%
7AMGNAmgen~4%
8CRMSalesforce~4%
9MCDMcDonald's~4%
10AXPAmerican Express~4%

The bottom line on DIA

DIA tracks the 30-stock Dow using an unusual price-weighting method, giving a blue-chip, less tech-heavy slice of the US market than VOO. It works as a focused large-cap exposure rather than a fully diversified core, and its price-weighted structure makes it behave differently from cap-weighted S&P 500 funds.

Build a portfolio around DIA with Walnut

Use DIA as your core holding, then let Walnut's AI propose thematic satellites: AI infrastructure, dividend growth, clean energy, whatever you believe in. Connect your broker, build the basket in conversation, track it as one unit.

FAQ

What is DIA?

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DIA is the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust, often nicknamed the Diamonds. A single ticker gives you ownership of the 30 large, established companies in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, one of the oldest US stock indexes.

What is DIA's expense ratio?

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0.16% per year (16 basis points) as of early 2026. On a $10,000 investment, that is about $16 per year in fees, higher than VOO's 0.03% but in line with other index-tracking sector and benchmark funds. Verify the current figure on the State Street site.

Why is DIA price-weighted?

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DIA tracks the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which is price-weighted: a stock's influence depends on its share price rather than its market capitalization. So a high-priced stock can move the index more than a larger company with a lower share price. This is unusual; most major indexes, including the S&P 500, are market-cap-weighted.

DIA vs VOO: what's the difference?

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VOO holds the 500 companies of the S&P 500, market-cap-weighted, at 0.03%. DIA holds only the 30 Dow companies, price-weighted, at 0.16%. DIA is far more concentrated and less technology-heavy, with more weight in established industrial, financial, and healthcare names. Walnut is not an investment adviser, so this is not a recommendation.

Does DIA pay a dividend?

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Yes, monthly. The trailing yield is approximately 1.6% as of early 2026, slightly higher than the S&P 500 because the Dow tilts toward mature, dividend-paying companies. Most brokers offer dividend reinvestment for DIA.

What companies are in DIA?

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The 30 Dow components, which have included Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Caterpillar, Home Depot, Visa, UnitedHealth, Amgen, Salesforce, McDonald's, and American Express. Because the index is price-weighted, higher-priced stocks carry the largest weights. The roster changes occasionally, so verify the current list on the issuer's site.

How many stocks are in DIA?

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Exactly 30, matching the Dow Jones Industrial Average. That makes DIA far more concentrated than broad-market funds like VOO (about 500 holdings) or VTI (about 4,000). The narrow roster of established blue-chips is the defining feature of the Dow.

What is DIA's AUM?

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Approximately $38 billion as of early 2026. The exact figure moves with markets and flows, so verify on the State Street site.

When was DIA created?

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January 1998. DIA was one of the earliest US ETFs, launched by State Street a few years after SPY, and remains the primary way to track the Dow in a single fund.

How do I buy DIA?

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DIA trades like any stock during US market hours. Buy it through any broker: Robinhood, Fidelity, Schwab, Public, M1, or others. Fractional shares are supported at most modern brokers. Connect your broker to Walnut and the AI can show how DIA overlaps with what you already own.

Is DIA a good investment?

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DIA gives concentrated blue-chip exposure through the 30 Dow stocks, less tech-heavy than the S&P 500 and price-weighted. Whether it fits your portfolio depends on your time horizon and what else you own. Walnut is not an investment adviser, so this is not a recommendation.

Related ETFs

Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Holdings weights and fund statistics on this page are approximations stamped to early 2026; verify current figures against State Street SPDR's fund page or your broker before investing.

    What Is DIA? SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (Holdings, Cost, Performance), Walnut