Siemens AG yesteday reported net profit for the first nine months of fiscal 1996 up 18% to the equivalent of $1.1bn, with strong growth in international business being the key contributor. Sales rose 7% to $43bn with orders rising 9% to $48.5bn. The communications segment, the automotive systems group and Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme in particular showed high growth, the company said. International business accounted for 62% of group sales in the first nine months, and sales in German y actually slipped 3% to $16.8bn, but foreign sales saved the company by jumping 15% to $26.2bn. Domestic German orders rose 1% to 27.7%. Siemens group workforce increased 2% to 382,000 employees, with the increase concentrated at foreign operations , where staff rose 7%, while the German workforce declined by 2%. Siemens said thriving sales boosted employment at its semiconductor group and the private telecommunications systems business also added employees, primarily in Germany. In the US, or ders increased by 11% to $6,400m – a 14% increase viewed from Germany because of the rise in the dollar. US sales were up 12% at $6,100m. Siemens Nixdorf’s personal computer business increased by one third and has become the number three in Europe a nd the leading personal computer manufacturer in Germany, Siemens claims. Sales at the computer arm rose by 14% to $6,466m.Siemens earned more than $67m from the sale of its printer arm, which went to Oce-Van Der Grinten NV.
