Investment picks up to a seven-quarter high of 14.4% in Q4 of 2017-18

Economists, however, caution against interpreting the data as a broad-based revival

Investment growth leap-frogged to a seven-quarter high of 14.4 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2017-18, up from the 9.1 per cent in the third quarter, according to the data released by the central statistics office (CSO).

However, economists cautioned against interpreting the data as broad-based revival in investment activities. 

Gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) had previously grown by a mere 0.8 per cent in the first quarter, suggesting a steady build-up in investment activity over the past year.

Investments alone accounted for 4.6 percentage points of growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in the fourth quarter, replacing private final consumption expenditure