US companies continued to report an expansion in activity during February, albeit at a slower pace. Output rose marginally as a softer uptick in services business activity weighed on overall growth. Manufacturing, meanwhile, saw a renewed increase in production amid an improvement in supply chains after adverse weather in January. Demand conditions improved further, but at a softer rate as a less marked increase in service sector new business offset an improvement in manufacturing. The slower rise in new sales led firms to recruit additional workers at a slightly reduced rate and also dampened confidence in the ... (full story)