1.   But his anticipated victory, against the backdrop of such criticism, has given many business people and investors pause.

2.   Even the most bullish Net investors paused, ever so briefly, to wonder about the strength of their foundations.

3.   In most of Asia, investors have barely paused to catch their breath since shares first began moving up in September.

4.   Blue-chip share prices edged lower in a mixed day on Wall Street as investors paused following two days of strong rallies in stocks.