There was a slowdown in net investment between the late 1970s and the 1980s/90s because much of the later investment was in things that depreciate rapidly like computers and software.
I'll have to take a closer look at that.
Net Growth Rate of Profit Rate Capital Stock 1950-70 1970-93 1950-70 1970-93 US 12.9% 9.9% 3.8% 3.0% Germany 23.2 13.8 6.0 2.6 Japan 21.6 17.2 9.4 7.1 G-7 17.6 13.3 4.5 4.3
but . . .
France 24.2 21.0 3.6 4.7
doesn't seem to fit the pattern (although the years are a little different, starting in 1952 and ending in 1987).
The numbers are from OECD and this book.
