Capital spending by companies in Japan rose 1.2% in the July-September period from a year earlier, up for the second straight quarter, but growth was slow as some firms hesitated to invest amid the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Wednesday.
Investment by all nonfinancial sectors for purposes such as building factories and adding equipment totaled ¥10.93 trillion ($96 billion), according to the Finance Ministry.
Capital expenditure by manufacturers edged up 0.9% to ¥3.92 trillion, increasing for the second consecutive quarter, as some makers of metal products made investments they had postponed due to the pandemic.