Growth slows in production

WASHINGTON – Sluggish spending by businesses and consumers is causing factories to cool their production after they helped lift the economy out of recession, the first decline in output at the nation’s mines, factories and utilities since the recession ended in June 2009.

For the July-September quarter, industrial production grew 4.8 percent. That is slower than the 7 percent gains in each of the first two quarter of this year.

• Homebuilder sentiment: In a separate report Monday, the National Association of Home Builders said its monthly index rose slightly to 16. It’s the first increase in five months. But the index remains far below 50, the dividing threshold between positive and negative sentiment about the market. The last time the index was above 50 was in April 2006.