Dow Index Funds Have the Name, but S&P Index Funds Have the Cash

The Dow Jones Industrial Average may be getting all the attention right now, but when it comes to indexed mutual funds, it's the S&P 500 that gets all the respect.

Powered by enduring brand names like General Electric (GE Quote), General Motors (GM Quote) and Sears (S Quote), the 103-year-old Dow sets the tone for the world's financial markets.

But investors have been flinging their money at Standard & Poor's younger market benchmark, which includes all the companies in the Dow and then some. While the 105 S&P 500-indexed mutual funds tracked by Lipper total a whopping $181.9 billion in assets, there are only three Dow-indexed funds in Lipper's database, and they hold a mere $148.5 million. ...