Asset investment levels remain strong

Investment in equipment and software should remain strong in 2018, expanding 7.9%, after solid growth in 2017, according to a Q4 update from the US Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation.

The prediction is an improvement on the 7% growth rate predicted the previous quarter.

Overall, the economy is expected to expand 2.9% in 2018, unchanged from the most recent forecast and well above last year’s 2.2% growth rate.

Business confidence levels are currently elevated, supported by strong fundamentals in the US economy, which the Foundation expects to translate into steady expansion in equipment and software investment through the rest of the year.

Jeffry Elliott, Foundation chairman and senior managing director of Huntington Equipment Finance, said: “The equipment finance industry appears to be on sound footing with solid growth prospects in the months ahead. Overall, investment in most equipment verticals should remain healthy through the remainder of 2018 and into early 2019.”