Intel became the first semiconductor firm to join the Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1999.
Intel was added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average in November 1999, reflecting the growing importance of semiconductor technology to the U.S. economy and stock market. The company had become a major supplier of microprocessors for personal computers and servers.
Intel’s historic market value was built around its x86 processor architecture and close relationship with the personal-computer industry. Its famous advertising slogan, “Intel Inside,” helped make a component manufacturer recognizable to consumers.
The Dow is a price-weighted index of 30 major U.S. companies, so membership is not the same as being the company with the largest market capitalization. Intel later left the index in 2024, when Nvidia took its place.