This Dow Stock Is Getting Crushed

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEX: ^DJI) was down 0.41% to 12682.44 today at 10:30 a.m. EST after GDP data was lower than investors expected. Leading the Dow down is Chevron (NYS: CVX) , which has plunged 2.85% to $103.55 after it reported bad earnings. Adding to the bad news for Chevron is news of potential criminal charges against Chevron executives in Brazil, in addition to the $11 billion civil suit, both relating to the company's November oil spill.

Chevron missed lowered analyst expectations for both earnings per share and revenue. Chevron reported earnings per share of $2.58; analysts had been expecting $2.85. For revenue, the company reported $60 billion versus analyst expectations of $71 billion. Production increased to 2.64 million barrels per day from 2.60 million barrels per day last quarter.

Legal battles
Chevron is currently fighting two major legal battles. The first is in Ecuador, where the company is contesting an $18 billion judgment against it by the Ecuadorian courts. The second is an $11 billion civil lawsuit in Brazil after the 2,400-barrel spill in November. The latter is heating up today, as Reuters is reporting that Brazilian prosecutors are going to press criminal charges against Chevron's Brazil executives.

The best approach
Watching the broad market each day is exciting, gut-wrenching, and stressful, but investing doesn't have to be. If you're in the mood to pick up a great company to buy for the long term, The Motley Fool has created a brand-new free report: "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2012." It features a company hand-selected by the Fool's chief investment officer that has a strong future ahead of it. Get access to the report and find out the name of this legendary company. The report is free, but it won't be here forever, so check it out today.

At the time thisarticle was published Dan Dzombakcan be found on his Facebook page.Click hereand like his Facebook page to follow his investing articles.Motley Fool newsletter serviceshave recommended buying shares of Chevron. Try any of our Foolish newsletter servicesfree for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe thatconsidering a diverse range of insightsmakes us better investors. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 - 2012 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.