U.S. stock markets were seeing red today.
In sharp reaction to last Friday's disappointing jobs report from the Department of Labor, the Dow Jones Industrial Average
On the day, the Dow ended down a cool 1%, with the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 both dropping 1.1%. The market saw volatility surge as well during the trading period. Options on the S&P 500 Volatility
Around the market
Stocks closely tied to the broader economy took a beating today. Both Bank of America
Elsewhere around the market, automaker Ford
And while investors need to stay informed about the day-to-day moves of their holdings, getting wrapped up in the day-to-day noise can distract from the real goal of investing in the stock market -- winning over the long term. No one likes down days, but they can create opportunities for patient, long-term investors, enabling them to pick up shares of the companies they believe in on the cheap. To highlight three stocks that have big-time potential, the Fool recently released a report detailing three stocks to help you retire rich. Better yet, we made the report free to our readers, so access your free copy today.