Investment has different meanings in finance and economics. In economics, investment is the accumulation of newly produced physical entities, such as factories, machinery, houses, and goods inventories.

In finance, investment is putting money into an asset with the expectation of capital appreciation, dividends, and/or interest earnings. This may or may not be backed by research and analysis. Most or all forms of investment involve some form of risk, such as investment in equities, property, and even fixed interest securities which are subject, among other things, to inflation risk.