Monsanto Company (MON), JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM): Why Today’s Flat Market Is Good News for Long-Term Investors

Although we don’t believe in timing the market or panicking over daily movements, we do like to keep an eye on market changes — just in case they’re material to our investing thesis.

Today’s news that job growth in the U.S. was weaker than economists had hoped is dragging on the stock market, and at first glance, that might seem like bad news for bullish investors. But what’s particularly encouraging is that stock investors are once again reconnecting their prospects with growth in the U.S. economy. That’s a welcome change from the “bad news is good news” paradigm that we saw in the recent past, where stocks would rally on hopes that the Federal Reserve would keep taking new stimulative measures in an effort to hasten the pace of the economic recovery. Despite this morning’s loss in the Dow Jones Industrial Average 2 Minute (INDEXDJX:.DJI), which is flat as of 11 a.m. EDT, having recovered from steep losses, investors are showing signs that they understand where long-term share-price appreciation will come from.

Nevertheless, many individual Dow Jones Industrial Average 2 Minute (INDEXDJX:.DJI) components are falling after the employment news. E I Du Pont De Nemours And Co (NYSE:DD) is down 0.9%, as the company could face opposition from customers as it moves to focus more on its agribusiness segment. Yesterday, rival Monsanto Company (NYSE:MON) got the bad news that farmers and others who have challenged its patented crops will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court after their move to prevent Monsanto Company (NYSE:MON) from suing them for accidental use of its seeds was rejected by an appeals court. Similar issues could plague E I Du Pont De Nemours And Co (NYSE:DD) in the future if it becomes more reliant on seed designs of its own.

Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE:JPM) stock has slipped after the company decided to stop offering student loans. Even as student debt has exploded higher in recent years, the desirability of student loans from the banking sector’s perspective has fallen substantially because of the removal of government guarantees on private loans. With a higher risk profile, JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE:JPM) apparently believes that other types of lending represent a better risk-reward proposition.

The article Why Today’s Flat Market Is Good News for Long-Term Investors originally appeared on Fool.com is written by Dan Caplinger.

Fool contributor Dan Caplinger owns warrants on JPMorgan Chase. You can follow him on Twitter @DanCaplinger. The Motley Fool recommends UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH). The Motley Fool owns shares of JPMorgan Chase. 

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