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Total new capital expenditure in Australia rose 0.4% qoq in Q4 2025, slowing sharply from a 6.4% growth in Q3 but beating market expectations for flat growth. Investment in buildings and infrastructure continued to grow (2.3% vs 2.3% in Q3), helped by large-scale projects in utilities, rental, hiring & real estate, and information and telecommunications. Within this category, non-mining capex increased 3.7%, but mining-related investment edged down 0.2%. By contrast, spending on equipment, plant, and machinery fell 1.7%, reversing an 11.2% surge in Q3. Non-mining equipment investment grew 0.8%, but mining equipment spending fell 0.8%. Regionally, capital spending rose in Victoria (2.0%), Queensland (0.7%), South Australia (4.8%), Western Australia (3.9%), and the Northern Territory (1.9%). Investment was flat in Tasmania, but it plunged in the Australian Capital Territory (-143%). On an annual basis, private capex rose 7.8%, faster than 6.9% in Q3.

Australia Q4 Capital Spending Unexpectedly Grows

Brent crude oil futures rose above $71 per barrel on Thursday, halting a three-day decline as investors braced for a third round of US-Iran nuclear talks later today. Markets are closely focused on the Geneva meeting between a US delegation led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, amid heightened caution over a military buildup in the Middle East. The talks come as President Donald Trump warns that the US could launch limited strikes if a nuclear agreement is not reached. However, gains were tempered by a sharp rise in US crude inventories, with EIA data showing a 16-million-barrel build last week, the largest weekly increase since February 2023. Oversupply concerns were further reinforced as Saudi Arabia moves toward its highest crude exports in nearly three years, while Iran has accelerated tanker loadings, according to Vortexa data.

Brent Gains Ahead of US-Iran Talks

Private new capital expenditure on buildings and structures in Australia increased 2.3% quarter-on-quarter in the three months to December 2025, quickening from a 2.1% rise in Q3 and marking the strongest expansion since Q2 2023. By industry, spending on buildings and structures posted the largest gains in arts and recreation services (30.3%), administrative and support services (25%), construction (15.8%), professional, scientific and technical services (14.4%) and electricity, gas, water and waste services (8.5%). Tom Lay, head of business statistics at the Australian Bureau of Statistics, said the increase in overall investment was driven by strength in buildings and structures, particularly renewable energy projects. He added that this was partly offset by a decline in equipment and machinery spending, following record-high investment in data centers during the previous quarter.

Australia Building Capex Rises 2.3% in Q4

WTI crude oil futures rose toward $66 per barrel on Thursday, halting a three-day decline as investors braced for a third round of US-Iran nuclear talks later today. Markets are closely focused on the Geneva meeting between a US delegation led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, amid heightened caution over a military buildup in the Middle East. The talks come as President Donald Trump warns that the US could launch limited strikes if a nuclear agreement is not reached. However, gains were tempered by a sharp rise in US crude inventories, with EIA data showing a 16-million-barrel build last week, the largest weekly increase since February 2023. Oversupply concerns were further reinforced as Saudi Arabia moves toward its highest crude exports in nearly three years, while Iran has accelerated tanker loadings, according to Vortexa data.

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