Stocks ended lower on Tuesday, but well off their lows, after the Federal Reserve said it would take new steps to counter a weak recovery. The Dow, which was down about 100 points before the Fed's announcement, briefly turned positive before buying waned on the Fed's more pessimistic assessment of the economy.

Based on the latest available data, the Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 53.66 points, or 0.50 percent, at 10,645.09. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 6.70 points, or 0.59 percent, at 1,121.09. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 28.52 points, or 1.24 percent, at 2,277.17.

(Reporting by Caroline Valetkevitch; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

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