Summary
Accordingly with the opinions expressed in the April 2012 Investment Survey (with an inquiring period between the 1st April and the 28th June 2012), the entrepreneurial investment is expected to decrease 16.7% in 2012 in nominal terms. The results of the same survey point to a change rate of -15.8% in 2011.
Among the investment objectives, from 2011 to 2012, the results of the survey point to an increase in the relative weight of the replacement investment and a decrease in the relative weight of the investment on the extension of the production capacity and on rationalization and restructuring.
Both in 2011 and 2012, the deterioration of the sales perspectives, followed by the uncertainty on the yield of the investments continue to be the most mentioned limitative factors for business investment. The first was more important in 2012 when compared to 2011 and its higher relative weight was mainly compensated by a decrease of the percentage of firms that refer the interest rate level as the main limitative factor.