This is the average growth rate measured over a year. For short periods it is the extrapolation of the increase continuing for a year’s time. For long periods it is the hypothetical constant per-year rate that takes the beginning-date value of a series to the ending-date value of the series during the time span.

Growth rates depend on the compounding rate used. With one exception, the rates reported here are compounded annually. For the DJIA, the rate is compounded daily. See How the Annualized Growth Rates Are Constructed.