資本支出驟降先是在遭受重創的美國能源行業出現，看來已經開始向其他行業蔓延。

路透社的分析顯示，和打算增加資本支出的公司相比，2016年資本支出減少或不變的公司是前者的兩倍以上。

勒緊褲腰帶的公司分布在各行各業，而且都是一向穩健的行業，比如醫療保健、消費品和餐飲。這再次表明2016年美國經濟可能增長乏力。

舉例來說，2015年麥當勞的股價上漲了26.1%，目前處于歷史高點。但該公司表示，將保持2015年約20億美元的資本支出規模不變，而這是五年多以來預算最低水平。

制藥公司禮來同樣保持資本支出不變。Verizon電信則計劃將資本支出從178億美元削減至172億-177億美元。

設在匹茲堡的資產管理公司Fort Pitt Capital Group高級股票研究分析師金?福里斯特說：“我認為各大公司會縮減規模，精打細算，今后會捂緊錢包，只在該花的地方花錢，因為賺錢不容易。”

通常，如果公司對經濟好轉充滿信心，就會增加投資。因此，資本支出下行可能預示著今后的經濟疲軟。

去年第四季度公司預期收入再次下降，再加上宏觀數據顯示美國經濟當季增速急速放緩，所以企業普遍保持謹慎。

當然，一些行業形勢良好，自身現金流也充沛的公司正在增加投資。

醫藥科技公司Stryker預計，2016年資本支出將達到4.5億美元，高于2015年的2.70億美元。Facebook今年的資本支出規模也將從25億美元增至40億-45億美元。

不過，國際數據公司分析師史蒂芬?明頓指出，雖然近幾年IT支出一直表現強勁，但看來也將從高點回落。

他說：“美國公司將提高支出水平，但增幅不會達到過去兩年的水平。”

明頓預計，2016年美國公司的硬件支出將增長3%，達到1330億美元左右。作為傳統IT支出大戶，通信和金融服務公司花銷將持平或略有上升。

路透社查看了標普500指數中提交初步業績指引的公司，其中2016年資本支出將減少或不變的至少有43家，而提高資本支出的約有20家。

以往，能源公司的資本支出經常名列前茅。而今，能源且的資本支出仍在加速下降，這并不意外。

2014年中以來油價不斷下滑，能源公司大幅削減支出。今年，能源公司將啟動第二輪大規模節流措施。

多家能源公司都表示2016年將減少資本支出，其中包括阿美拉達赫斯公司、阿納達科石油公司、哈爾孔資源、Noble Energy和Continental Resources。

大宗商品價格全面跳水影響了材料廠商的支出水平，比如杜邦就把資本支出從14億美元降至11億美元。鐵路等行業同樣受到了沖擊，聯合太平洋鐵路公司和諾福克南方公司都下調了2016年的資本支出規劃。

就連受益于低油價的航空公司也開始謹慎起來。比如達美航空就表示，2016年支出將保持在30億美元。

達美航空首席執行官理查德?安德森說：“這確實是保持公司增長的支出上限了。”（財富中文網）

譯者：Charlie

校對：夏林

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 -0.53% , 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 -2.68% is holding its capital expenditures budget flat and Verizon Communications VZ -1.67% 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 -0.14% expects to have capital expenditures as high as $450 million in 2016, up from $270 million in 2015. Facebook FB -0.42% 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 -5.75% , Anadarko Petroleum APC 2.64% , Halcon Resources HK -8.40% , Noble Energy NBL -3.10% and Continental Resources.

The broad slump in commodities prices has hit spending by materials companies, including DuPont DD 5.40% , which is cutting capital spending from $1.4 billion to $1.1 billion, and industrials such as railroads Union Pacific UNP -1.89% and Norfolk Southern NSC -5.11% , both of which slashed capital spending plans for 2016.

Even airlines, which benefit from low energy prices, are being careful. Delta Air Lines DAL -3.54% , 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.