Phew. The market seemed to take a much-needed breather today after the Dow Jones Industrial Average
Investors seemed to be in wait-and-see mode today as they look for signs of life from the global economy, and in particular Europe. The continent remains in very serious trouble, keeping investors cautious as Greece's possible eurozone exit and Spain's potential need of a bailout continue to be the main areas of concern. China's economy also continues to show weakness, and data today showed the country's non-manufacturing industries grew at the slowest pace in more than a year.
Here's how three major U.S. indices fared on the day:
Index |
Change |
Ending Value |
---|---|---|
Dow Jones Industrial Average | -17.11 [-0.14%] | 12,101.46 |
Nasdaq | 12.53 [0.46%] | 2,760.01 |
S&P 500 | 0.14 [0.01%] | 1,278.18 |
Turning to individual stocks, JPMorgan Chase
Construction-equipment giant Caterpillar
It wasn't all bad for Dow stocks on the day, as Home Depot
Outside the Dow, Facebook
The big picture
While it's fun to follow what happens with volatile stocks like Facebook, it's also important to not to get too worked up about what happens in the short term. The most successful stock picks are usually great businesses that grow over many years. Our analysts have uncovered one such company in our new report, "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2012." It highlights a company that is revolutionizing commerce in Latin America. You can get instant access to the name of this company -- and it's absolutely free.