Japan's factory activity expanded at a slower pace in March as growth in output, orders and manufacturers' confidence cooled and cost pressures hit a 19-month high due to the Middle East conflict, a private-sector survey showed on Wednesday. • The final S&P Global Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell to 51.6 in March from a 45-month high of 53.0 in February, but slightly overshot the flash figure of 51.4. A reading above 50.0 indicates expansion, while below that level signals contraction.