The Dow Jones Industrials (DJINDICES: ^DJI) have done exceedingly well so far this year, and the third quarter was another strong period for the average. The Dow finished the quarter within 8 points of its all-time high, picking up more than 1,050 points and posting a gain of nearly 5%. The price-weighted average particularly benefits when its higher-priced stocks do well, and that was definitely the case with some of its best-performing components during the summer months.