U.S. economic growth slowed in the final three months of last year, dragged down by the six-week shutdown of the federal government and a pullback in consumer spending. The figures point to what could be a more modest pace of growth in the coming quarters, as consumers take on more debt and cut back on saving to maintain their spending. Business investment, outside data centers and other equipment dedicated to artificial intelligence, grew at only a moderate pace. Still, a measure of underlying growth that focuses on consumer and business spending was mostly solid, economists said. The sharp slowdown in government outlays because of the shutdown shaved a full percentage point from growth.