Capital expenditures in corporate sector: a forecast for 1974

Abstract

An attempt is made in this paper to forecast investment in the private corporate sector for the year 1974 by using the data available with the three leading term lending institutions. The data cost relevant in this context are the time phasing of capital expenditures on projects sanctioned by these institutions in the current and in the previous years. Given the long time lag involved in obtaining and analysing data on company finances which is now the source for obtaining estimates on capital formation in the corporate sector, our method besides helping to formation in the corporate sector, our method besides helping to forecast, fills an important gap by providing within a short period of the end of a year an indication of the direction and quantum of investment in corporate private sector in that year. The major conclusion drawn is that even allowing for price changes, the total capital expenditures in 1974 by the corporate sector would be higher than that in 1973. The new commitments made in 1973 and in early 1974 indicate that investment in certain key industries may be lagging behind. As of now, the picture for 1975 is not encouraging unless there is a dramatic change in the investment climate during 1975 itself.