Business Investment, Q2 2014 Revised Results

30 Sep 2014 11:45 AM

Key points

• The estimates in this release are short-term indicators of investment in assets (gross fixed capital formation (GFCF)).
• This is the first release of estimates compiled under the European System of Accounts 2010 (ESA10). These estimates are consistent with the UK Annual National Accounts (Blue Book) 2014 and have been revised from Q1 1997 to the latest period.
• In Q2 2014, GFCF was estimated to have increased by £0.9 billion (1.3%) since the previous quarter, to £72.5 billion. This takes GFCF to its highest level since Q2 2008.
• GFCF increased by 9.1% compared with the same quarter a year ago. This is the highest annual increase since Q1 2003.
• GFCF increased for the last seven quarters, the longest sustained period of growth since 1998.
• Most of the increase to GFCF in Q2 2014 came from increased investment in machinery and equipment. This has increased by £0.7 billion (4.4%) since the previous quarter.
• All the assets, except buildings and transfer costs, have shown quarterly growth compared with the same quarter the previous year for at least four quarters.
• In Q2 2014, business investment was at its highest level (£45.0 billion) since Q2 2005. It passed the pre-downturn peak for the first time in Q4 2013.
• Business investment increased by an estimated £1.4 billion (3.3%) since Q1 2014. It increased by 11.0% compared with the same quarter a year ago, the largest annual increase since Q1 2007.

Get all the tables for this publication in the data section of this publication.