Japan’s government downgraded its assessment of the economy for the first time in three months in its monthly report for February, citing signs of weakness in private consumption and production. The Cabinet Office said Wednesday the economy is recovering at a moderate pace, although some components are showing sluggishness. This marks the first overall downgrade since November, when a note was added to suggest that the recovery seemed to be “partially” stalled. The government’s latest appraisal indicates that the economic recovery is likely to remain tepid after the economy unexpectedly slipped into recession at the ... (full story)