First-Quarter Growth Comes Up Weak

U.S. economic growth was weaker than expected in the first quarter, as consumers were distracted by the prospect of war and companies continued to be stingy in the face of flailing demand.

The Commerce Department said first-quarter gross domestic product, the value of all goods and services produced in the U.S., rose at a 1.6% annual rate in the year's first three months. That's up from the fourth quarter's 1.4%, but short of economists' expectations for growth north of 2%. ...