WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Economic growth cooled in the first quarter as businesses cut back on investment and restocked shelves at a moderate pace, but stronger demand for automobiles softened the blow. Gross domestic product expanded at a 2.2 percent annual rate, the Commerce Department said on Friday in its advance estimate, moderating from the fourth quarter’s 3 percent rate. While that was below economists’ expectations for a 2.5 percent pace, a surge in consumer spending took some of the sting from the report. …

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