Fearing lean times, U.S. companies tighten purse strings

By Caroline Valetkevitch and Marcus E. Howard NEW YORK (Reuters) - The capital spending slump that originated in the hard-hit energy sector appears to be spreading more widely across other U.S. industries. Companies cutting or flat-lining their capital expenditures in 2016 outpace those that say they will increase spending by a factor of more than two to one, according to a Reuters analysis. Companies in industries as diverse - and relatively strong - as healthcare, consumer goods and restaurant