Yesterday, we ran a pollto see which company should replace GM in the Dow if it goes bankrupt. With over 5,000 votes cast, there are some interesting observations and comments that came in from our readers.
Within the initial hours, Apple jumped to the lead followed by Google , Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs . However as the day went on, there was a surge from Abbott Labs , putting it in a statistical dead heat with Apple. Now this was a simple poll and not a formal scientific survey, but it was interesting to see the dynamic unfold. Additionally, it was interesting to see the over all distribution was evenly spread between the eight companies suggested with no single company lagging or leading in an overwhelming way.
Here are some of the comments we got from readers:
While many agreed with the list in the poll, some were nostalgic for old Dow components or wanted a like-for-like swap. David Joseph wrote "HON should replace GM, it never should have been removed in the first place and it contains an automotive component. I find it odd your list contains no true industrials."
Others had new suggestions. Rick Love of KY wrote "Clearly a company like UPS should be the next DOW component. The largest transportation company in the US. They move 7% of the GDP. This company is a reflection of the current economy. Isn’t that what we want to know? Great Show!"
Of course, there are those that questioned the overall value of the Dow, stating "Instead of replacing GM in the Dow, replace the Dow Jones Index with the NY Composite index and send the Dow Jones Index to the Smithsonian which is where it belongs."
Thanks for the feedback everyone!
Comments? Send them to bythenumbers@cnbc.com
