Factbox: Dow crosses 21,000 threshold: facts & figures

By Chuck Mikolajczak

NEW YORK (Reuters) - After breaking a streak of 12 straight record-setting sessions, the Dow resumed its upward climb and pierced the 21,000 mark for the first time on Wednesday.

The venerable index concluded February with its fourth straight month of gains, an advance of nearly 15 percent and its best four-month run since 2012.

Below is a list of facts about the index on its climb to 21,000:

** The Dow first closed above 20,000 on Jan. 25, 2017, when it ended the trading day at 20,068.51. Should the index stay above 21,000 into the close, it would mark 24 trading sessions between 1,000 point milestone for the index. That would match the shortest such span in its history, from March 29 to May 3, 1999, when it rose from 10,000 to 11,000, also taking 24 sessions.

** The longest stretch between such milestones has been the 3,630 days needed for the index to close above the 2,000 barrier, reached on Jan. 8, 1987.

** Apple has been the best performer on the index since the 20,000 mark, with a gain of 13.6 percent. It is also one of the top boosts to the price-weighted Dow, contributing about 115 points.

** Since the Dow is a price- and not a market capitalization-weighted index, Goldman Sachs, the most expensive stock in the Dow at nearly $254 per share, is also responsible for being a top boost to the index's most recent 1,000 climb. The bank has also added about 114 points despite a market capitalization more than seven times smaller than Apple's.

** Goldman was the biggest contributor in the Dow's march from 19,000 to 20,000, adding about 167 points.

** Intel has been the worst performing stock during the most recent 1,000 point run, down about 6 percent. The stock is the third-biggest drag on the index, subtracting 15.4 points.

** The top two drags on the index during the move to 21,000 are both oil companies - Chevron and Exxon Mobil - which have subtracted about 28 and 17 points, respectively, from the Dow.

(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; Editing by Nick Zieminski)