Mining sentiment in free fall CONFIDENCE in the mining sector is in "free fall," with top executives displaying a gloomy outlook and slashing capital expenditure, an influential report has warned. The 2013 Mining Business Outlook report by Newport Consulting has revealed a sharp negative shift in sentiment among industry leaders over the past year. It is also the first time in the report's four-year history that miners have declared they are reducing capital expenditure -- not just postponing or moderately increasing it.