The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that the S&P 500 and Nasdaq eked out modest gains Monday in muted trading, as investors took a breath at the top of an eventful week, with earnings, economic data, the U.S. Federal Reserve's rate decision and the ebb and flow of Middle East tensions all crowding the docket. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe says that all three major U.S. stock indexes wavered throughout the session, showing little conviction in either direction after last week's rally. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq notched their latest in a series of record closing highs. The S&P/TSX Composite Index ended slightly lower, down 85 points at 33,818.19, pressured in part by lower gold prices. The price of oil settled 2.1 per cent higher at $96.37 (U.S.) a barrel. The session began with the S&P 500 up over 100 per cent since the bull market began in October, 2022. First-quarter earnings season has hit full stride, with a host of high-profile firms slated to report this week, including five of the Magnificent Seven tech megacaps, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Apple and Microsoft. As of Friday, 139 companies in the S&P 500 have posted first-quarter results. Of those, 81 per cent have beaten estimates.