Wall Street took a breather after a huge two-session rally Tuesday (25 March 2008) but closed mostly higher, holding on to almost all its gains even after disappointing reports on consumer sentiment and the housing market. These are signs of investors hoping the market would rally even higher. Stocks pulled past profit-taking that was due in part to the Conference Board’s report that consumer confidence sank to a five-year low in March. The index has been weakening since July 2007, and is closely watched to determine the future of consumer spending, undeniably one of the most critical parts of the economy.