• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Trump pulls back after Iran crosses his red line as U.S. military breaks two-week streak of airstrikes amid talks for potential Hormuz deal

2

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'

3

College-educated women are snapping up the highest-earning men without college degrees, leaving the rest further behind

1

Trump pulls back after Iran crosses his red line as U.S. military breaks two-week streak of airstrikes amid talks for potential Hormuz deal

2

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'

3

College-educated women are snapping up the highest-earning men without college degrees, leaving the rest further behind
capital spending

U.S. Companies Are Slashing Investment in 2016

By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 2, 2016, 5:09 AM ET
Photograph by Mike Brown
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The capital spending slump that originated in the hard-hit energy sector appears to be spreading more widely across other U.S. industries.

Companies cutting or flat-lining their capital expenditures in 2016 outpace those that say they will increase spending by a factor of more than two to one, according to a Reuters analysis.

Companies in industries as diverse—and relatively strong—as healthcare, consumer goods and restaurants are among those tightening their belts in yet another sign that economic growth in 2016 may be anemic.

For instance, McDonald’s (MCD), which saw its stock jump 26.1% in 2015 and is trading at record levels now, said it would keep capital expenditures flat with 2015 at about $2 billion, the company’s lowest budget in more than five years.

Drugmaker Eli Lilly (LLY) is holding its capital expenditures budget flat and Verizon Communications (VZ) said it plans to cut its budget from $17.8 billion, to between $17.2 and $17.7 billion.

“I think companies are going to be lean and mean and are going to keep the purse strings tight and only spend where absolutely necessary, because cash isn’t coming into them,” said Kim Forrest, senior equity research analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group in Pittsburgh.

Companies typically invest more when they feel confident that the economy is improving, so a downturn in capital spending could portend further weakness ahead.

That corporate caution follows another expected decline in revenues in the fourth quarter and data showing U.S. economic growth braked sharply in the quarter.

To be sure, some well-heeled companies in healthy industries are bumping up their investments.

Medical technology company Stryker (SYK) expects to have capital expenditures as high as $450 million in 2016, up from $270 million in 2015. Facebook (FB) plans capital expenditures between $4 billion and $4.5 billion this year, up from $2.5 billion.

But even growth in information technology spending—which has been strong in recent years—appears to be off its recent peaks, according to International Data analyst Stephen Minton.

“U.S. companies will increase their spending, but not by the rate it has been over the last two years,” he said.

Hardware spending in 2016 for all U.S. companies is expected to grow 3% to about $133 billion. Telecommunications and financial services companies—typically among the biggest spenders on IT—are expected to have flat to little growth in spending, he said.

At least 43 companies plan to cut, or leave unchanged, their capital spending levels in 2016, while about 20 are increasing, according to a Reuters review of Standard & Poor’s 500 companies that have given explicit early guidance.

Not surprisingly, the collapse in capital spending by energy companies—which typically lead in capital expenditures—appears to be accelerating.

This year marks the second round of big cuts for energy companies, which have had to sharply scale back spending because of the drop in oil prices since mid-2014.

A slew of energy names have announced capital expenditures cuts for 2016 including Hess (HES), Anadarko Petroleum (APC), Halcon Resources (HK), Noble Energy (NBL) and Continental Resources.

The broad slump in commodities prices has hit spending by materials companies, including DuPont (DD), which is cutting capital spending from $1.4 billion to $1.1 billion, and industrials such as railroads Union Pacific (UNP) and Norfolk Southern (NSC), both of which slashed capital spending plans for 2016.

Even airlines, which benefit from low energy prices, are being careful. Delta Air Lines (DAL), for example, said it would hold the line in 2016 at $3 billion in spending.

“That is really the optimum number that we can execute on,” said Richard Anderson, Delta chief executive.

About the Author
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in

China’s Moonshot, Z.AI, and DeepSeek are challenging U.S. AI labs—and beating them on cost
MagazineChina
China’s Moonshot, Z.AI, and DeepSeek are challenging U.S. AI labs—and beating them on cost
By Nicholas GordonJuly 26, 2026
1 hour ago
Mideast oil may soon have no way out amid ‘everything everywhere all at once’ wars, but the crisis in refined products is even worse
Middle EastOil
Mideast oil may soon have no way out amid ‘everything everywhere all at once’ wars, but the crisis in refined products is even worse
By Jason MaJuly 26, 2026
2 hours ago
Traders are getting a new tool to wager on the biggest U.S. stocks
Investingstock trading
Traders are getting a new tool to wager on the biggest U.S. stocks
By Bernard Goyder, Katherine Doherty and BloombergJuly 26, 2026
4 hours ago
Big Tech earnings slam into a market in revolt over AI spending
Big Techearnings
Big Tech earnings slam into a market in revolt over AI spending
By Jeran Wittenstein, Ryan Vlastelica and BloombergJuly 26, 2026
4 hours ago
Romania scrambles F-16 jets to shoot down a suspected Russian ‘Shahed type’ drone, marking the fourth recent violation of NATO airspace
PoliticsRussia
Romania scrambles F-16 jets to shoot down a suspected Russian ‘Shahed type’ drone, marking the fourth recent violation of NATO airspace
By Sam McNeil, Vadim Ghirda and The Associated PressJuly 26, 2026
4 hours ago
James Cameron tried to warn us: ‘Skynet Day’ is now shorthand for OpenAI’s agent going rogue and hacking into a startup
AIOpenAI
James Cameron tried to warn us: ‘Skynet Day’ is now shorthand for OpenAI’s agent going rogue and hacking into a startup
By Laurie Kellman, Lindsey Bahr and The Associated PressJuly 26, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

Trump pulls back after Iran crosses his red line as U.S. military breaks two-week streak of airstrikes amid talks for potential Hormuz deal
Middle East
Trump pulls back after Iran crosses his red line as U.S. military breaks two-week streak of airstrikes amid talks for potential Hormuz deal
By Jason MaJuly 25, 2026
1 day ago
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
Real Estate
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 25, 2026
1 day ago
College-educated women are snapping up the highest-earning men without college degrees, leaving the rest further behind
Economy
College-educated women are snapping up the highest-earning men without college degrees, leaving the rest further behind
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 26, 2026
12 hours ago
An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948
Success
An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 25, 2026
2 days ago
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
Economy
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
By Eleanor PringleJuly 24, 2026
3 days ago
Startups are installing tiny data centers in people’s homes to reduce strain on the beleaguered electrical grid
Environment
Startups are installing tiny data centers in people’s homes to reduce strain on the beleaguered electrical grid
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 25, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.