Finance & economics | Fun while it lasted

Is the global investment boom turning to bust?

Why capex spending is now heading in the wrong direction

2B8M2YB Orlando, Florida. March 02, 2019. People having fun The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Universals Islands of Adventure
Check the screwsImage: Alamy
|SAN FRANCISCO

Almost wherever you look, companies seem to be scaling back their ambitions. Meta, the owner of Facebook, recently said that it would invest less in 2023 than previously promised. Disney is slimming its capex plans for this year by a tenth, meaning punier investment in its theme parks. Calavo Growers, a huge producer of avocados and other fruit, intends to reduce its capital expenditures “while we navigate near-term uncertainties”.

This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Fun while it lasted”

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