TOKYO, June 1 : Japanese companies' pace of annual spending on plant and equipment stalled in the first quarter after a year of strong expansion, likely prompting a downgrade to economic growth as concerns mount over the impact of the Middle East conflict.The Iran war has upended the global economic outlook,

TOKYO, June 1 : Japanese companies' pace of annual spending on plant and equipment stalled in the first quarter after a year of strong expansion, likely prompting a downgrade to…

(Corrects to restore dropped word 'flat' in lead paragraph)By Makiko YamazakiTOKYO, June 1 : Japanese companies' annual spending on plant and equipment remained almost flat in the…

Asian factories saw steady growth in May. Companies built up stocks to counter potential supply disruptions from the Middle East conflict. China's manufacturing expanded for the…