Oh, what a difference a few hours can make. As I noted in my midday market update, U.S. stock markets started strong out of the gate today -- but as concerns about the viability of the Spanish bailout and general uncertainty surrounding the health of the European economy mounted later in the day, markets gave up their initial gains and settled firmly in negative territory before the closing bell. Examining the final tape, the Dow Jones Industrial Average
As an additional sign of increased skepticism on investors' parts, the market's so-called "fear gauge," of the VIX
Around the markets
Despite macroeconomic concerns dominating the discourse today, several noteworthy stories also played out in individual stocks. Computer manufacturer Dell
As I noted earlier today, JPMorgan Chase
Looking past large caps, shares of technology developer Rambus
The road forward
Major macro storylines have dominated daily movements. And it's just such times when investors should focus on identifying stocks they want to buy on the pullback, should it arrive -- established stocks like blue-chip dividend stocks. To further that effort, the Fool recently issued a research report highlighting its three most promising Dow components, which you can access today.