The 3 Worst Dow Stocks Today

The Dow (INDEX: ^DJI) ticked down slightly today, but some stocks fell considerably more:

Retailers are moving ahead with a proposed $7.2 billion settlement with Visa (NYSE: V) and MasterCard for alleged price fixing. Although that might seem like a good thing for American Express, the settlement might have been tougher given that big retailers like Target and Wal-Mart had been pushing for harsher terms. What's more, the agreement will let merchants collectively negotiate swipe fees and allow merchants to charge extra for credit cards. AmEx also appointed Bank of America's former Enterprise CIO and CTO as its CIO.

JPMorgan is picking up the tab for $1.2 billion of the card settlement, with Bank of America and Citigroup picking up smaller amounts (we're talking only hundreds of millions.) The bank is facing other legal problems as well; it's been hit with a zillion subpoenas over the LIBOR interest rate rigging scandal, 11 agencies are investigating its "London Whale" derivatives trade that torched $6 billion, which caused the bank to formally restate its first-quarter earnings today.

Disney's stock took a breather after jumping on yesterday's good earnings announcement due to The Avengers and ESPN. My colleague Tim Beyers, an expert on Disney's Marvel Studios, explains why he thinks Disney just became a screaming buy.

American Express, Disney, and JPMorgan all lost to the market today, but as investors, it's important for us to remember to keep our eyes on long-term performance. If you're looking for some ideas, the Motley Fool recently highlighted "The 3 Dow Stocks Dividend Investors Need." You can get the full scoop on these three promising Dow dividend dynamos by clicking here.