TOKYO, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Capital spending by Japanese companies in the July-September quarter rose 2.9 percent from a year earlier, marking a third consecutive quarterly increase, driven by strong artificial intelligence demand, government data showed Monday.
Investment by all nonfinancial sectors for purposes, including building factories and purchasing equipment, totaled 13.81 trillion yen (88.6 billion U.S. dollars), the Ministry of Finance data showed.
Major increases in capital spending were seen in the information and communications sector as well as in steel.
In the third quarter of 2025, pretax profits increased 19.7 percent from a year earlier to 27.54 trillion yen, up for the fourth consecutive quarter. Sales grew 0.5 percent to 379.04 trillion yen, gaining for the 18th straight quarter.
The latest data will be used to revise Japan's gross domestic product for the July-September period. Preliminary data showed the economy shrank at an annualized rate of 1.8 percent after price and seasonal adjustment in the third quarter, marking the first contraction in six quarters. ■
