Summary
According to the opinions expressed on the April 2011 Investment Survey (occurred between the 1st April and 29th June 2011), the entrepreneurial investment is expected to decrease 7.7% in nominal terms in 2011. The same survey points to a reduction of 5.4% of the investment in 2010. These results represent a downward revision of -4.0 p.p. for 2011 and -0.8 p.p. for 2010, compared to the perspectives revealed in the previous survey.
Among the investment objectives, from 2010 to 2011, the perspectives indicate an increase only in the relative weight of the investment in replacement and in the extension of the production capacity.
The deterioration of the sales perspectives, followed by the uncertainty about the investments profitability were identified as the main limitative factors for business investment in the survey for 2010 and 2011. The latter is less important in 2011 compared to 2010 and its lower relative weight was mainly compensated by an increase of the percentage of firms that refer difficulties in obtaining bank financing.