after the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates and, more importantly, offered hope that the worst may be over. The Dow Industrials ended down 33.08 points at 9,888.37, having headed up until Merck issued a deadening warning that 2002 doesn't look as good as it did. Nasdaq biotechs felt the downward pull as well. But the Nasdaq composite ended up 9.81 at 2001.93. The S&P 500 slipped 3.17 to 1,136.76.