I'm interested on info about the stocks?

i don't understand what do the numbers mean on the dow and nasdaq i just know it is bad they have been negative all week. what does dow and nasdaq stand for anyways. i understand they are investment firms or what type are they. i just want more schooling can some help me understand the market......matter and means.....thankz

The numbers represent a basket of stocks(or an index) & the price they are trading.

Dow Jones Industrial Average is made up of 30 stocks. The largest & most widely held companies in the U.S.

NASDAQ- National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations

The NASDAQ Composite index-similar to the Dow Jones, it is a basket or index of stocks sold over the counter.A market-value weighted index of all common stocks listed on Nasdaq. The Nasdaq Composite dates back to 1971, which is when the Nasdaq exchange was first formalized. The index is used mainly to track technology stocks, and thus it is not a good indicator of the market as a whole. Unlike the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), the Nasdaq is market value-weighted, so it takes into account the total market capitalization of the companies it tracks and not just their share prices.

The dow, nasdaq and S & P are indexes--attempts to summarize the economy as a whole. The Dow is more industry-related, the nasdaq is technology- and computer-related, and the S&P is the top companies. Hopefully someone who is more of an expert will answer.

As far as the numbers, look at the way they change, and by how much. The actual numbers are not as important as the percentage they have changed over time.