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The macroeconomy · 29 of 30

The determinants of investment

Work out net investment and explain how interest rates, confidence, credit and government move investment

Gross investment includes spending that only replaces worn-out capital

Investment is spending on new capital goods: machinery and software, buildings such as factories and offices, additions to firms' stocks, and new homes. Each year some existing capital wears out or loses value with age, which is depreciation. Gross investment is all the spending on new capital. Net investment is what is left after worn-out capital has been replaced, and only net investment adds to the stock of capital.

A haulage firm spends £500,000 on lorries, £300,000 of it replacing worn-out ones: gross investment £500,000, net investment £200,000.

Predict first

A firm has enough cash of its own to pay for a new machine, so it does not need a loan. Interest rates then rise. Does the rise make the firm less likely to buy the machine?