US STOCKS: Dow ended the first session of 2001 down 140.70 points (-1.30%) while the Nasdaq tumbled 178.66 points (-7.23%). Analyst downgrades of some tech issues combined with worries about blue chips to led to a miserable day. On the tech front, Veritas Software fell about $21 to $66 while Adobe Systems fell $12 1/2 to $46. Other losers included EMC, down $12.13 at $54.38. PMC-Sierra, down $10.75 at $67.88, Cisco, off $5 at $33.25, Qualcomm, off $9.63 at $72.56 and Juniper Networks, off $23.50 at $103.56. Elsewhere, blue chip GE tumbled almost $5 to $$42 3/4 on word of a WSJ article highlighting problems with a GE manufactured aircraft engine line while in other areas, financial stocks weakened, with JP Morgan slipping $1.18 at $44 1/8 and MSDW off $7.62 at $71.62. S&P 500 ended down 37 points.