Manufacturing in April held at the weakest pace in almost two years, prompting factories to pull back on hiring as they await stronger demand in the U.S. and abroad. The Institute for Supply Management’s index was unchanged at 51.5, the lowest since May 2013, a report from the Tempe, Arizona-based group showed Friday. Readings above 50 signal expansion, and the April figure was less than the median projection of 52 in a Bloomberg survey of economists. The lack of improvement reflects the lingering effects of a stronger dollar and low oil prices on capital spending and exports that caused the economy to nearly stall ... (full story)