Business Spending: Strong Momentum Into New Year
Kiplinger’s latest forecast on business equipment spending
Capital spending is still going strong, rising 0.5% in December and 6.6% over the past 12 months. Spending is now 6.1% above its prepandemic level, and new orders are 8.0% higher. Machinery spending and orders are robust. Even though many uncertainties about the economy’s progress remain, businesses are apparently deciding to push ahead with expansion plans that had been on hold, in order to be prepared for the eventual recovery. However, surveys indicate that large firms are more enthusiastic than small firms at this time.
Likely beneficiaries include makers of industrial robots and 3D printers. Robots remove the need for worries about physical distancing of the workforce. 37% of U.S. assembly plants plan to invest in 3D printers, a record high. Interest is also high in collaborative robots, which work in close contact with humans instead of as stand-alone ‘bots. 31% of assemblers are currently using the technology or plan to within the next year, and 17% within two to three years.
A boost for purchases of oilfield equipment seems likely, now that the price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil has surpassed $50 per barrel, its highest level since early March. The number of active drilling rigs has been on a steady upward path since the beginning of October.
Sources:
