أستراليا Private Investment

Total new capital expenditure in Australia unexpectedly contracted by 0.2% quarter-on-quarter in the fourth quarter of 2024, missing market expectations of 0.8% growth and following an upwardly revised 1.6% expansion in the previous quarter. This decline was weighed down by decreases in spending on equipment, plant, and machinery, which dropped by 0.8%, partially offset by a 0.2% rise in buildings and structures. Investment shrank in both mining industries (-0.6%) and non-mining sectors (-0.1%). Geographically, the Australian Capital Territory saw the steepest falls (-8.3%), followed by South Australia (-6.7%), New South Wales (-1.6%), and Queensland (-1.6%). Meanwhile, Western Australia (3.1%) and the Northern Territory (6.1%) recorded significant gains. On an annual basis, private capital expenditure grew by 0.6% through the year to December, following an upwardly revised 1.6% rise in the third quarter.