The Procter & Gamble Company (PG): The Dow (.DJI) Jumps The Gun

A bloodsucker in more ways than one
Bram Stoker’s Dracula was published for the first time on May 26, 1897. Arriving exactly a year after the first publication of Charles Dow’s industrial index, the tale of a charming vampire from Transylvania had a similar effect on pop culture as Dow’s index had on stock market culture. While it wasn’t an immediate best-seller, the novel’s influence on early filmmaking led to an explosion of interest in vampire stories that continues to this day, to the chagrin of many husbands and boyfriends. Stoker’s creation, and the worldwide pop-culture craze it spawned, has added an estimated $10 billion to the economy, according to one “very conservative” estimate by 24/7 Wall Street’s Jon C. Ogg.

The article The Dow Jumps the Gun originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Alex Planes holds no financial position in any company mentioned here. Add him on Google+ or follow him on Twitter, @TMFBiggles, for more insight into markets, history, and technology.The Motley Fool recommends Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble and owns shares of IBM.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.