The value of actual and expected purchases of new capital. Capital purchases are investments in productive capacity like new machinery, plants, or improvements & additions to existing assets. Such purchases are made by companies optimistic that costs will be surmounted by future demand. For instance, Gold mines may purchase new Gold mining equipment to increase productivity in order to meet rising demand for Gold. Private Capital Expenditures generally indicate higher business confidence and reflect a healthy economy.

The headline number is the seasonally adjusted percentage change in new private capital expenditures from the previous quarter.

Technical Note: The figure is derived from the results of an Australian Bureau of Statistics survey of 8000 private firms. The survey asks for three items: expenditures for the reference period (Act, actual), expected expenditures in the short-term (E1), and expected expenditures in the long-term (E2). Long-term prospects can be assessed by looking at time-specific data as businesses optimistic about the long-run will have higher planned expenditures in both the short and long-term.

Relevance : Rarely affects markets
Release Schedule : 1:30 (GMT); quarterly, with previous quarter's data released three months later
Revision Schedule: Quarterly
Source of Report : Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
Web Address : http://www.abs.gov.au/
Address of Release : http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs%40.nsf/mf/5625.0
AKA: New Private Capital Expenditures