The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that U.S. and Canadian stocks took a breather on Wednesday, pausing a two-day rally, as the tenuous Israel-Iran ceasefire continued to hold and investors poured over a second day of congressional testimony from Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe says that tech shares lifted Nasdaq, while the S&P 500 ended flat. The benchmark index remained within striking distance of its record closing high reached on Feb. 19. The blue-chip Dow ended in negative territory as did Toronto's S&P/TSX Composite Index. Nvidia shares touched a record high, lifting its market value to $3.75-trillion (U.S.) and making it the world's most valuable company. Among the 11 major sectors of the S&P 500, technology, communication services and health care advanced on the day. Defensives such as real estate, consumer staples and utilities underperformed the broader market. Mr. Powell, in his second day of congressional testimony, reiterated to the Senate Banking Committee that the central bank is well positioned to cut interest rates, but not until the inflationary effects of U.S. President Donald Trump's wide-ranging tariffs are better known.