ABB 2Q net income rises 43% amid strong growth

July 21, 2011 | Budget & Investment

ABB_logo

ABB Group reported a 43-percent increase in second-quarter net income to $893 million amid strong industrial growth, higher earnings in the Power Systems division and the contribution from recent acquisitions, especially Baldor Electric.

Revenues rose 17 percent and orders increased 18 percent from the second quarter of last year, with growth in both mature and emerging markets.

Customer investments aimed at increasing operational efficiency translated into strong demand for robots, energy-efficient motors and low-voltage systems in the second quarter, while capacity expansions and the need for service drove higher orders in the oil and gas, pulp and paper, metals and marine sectors.

Increasing requirements for electricity in industry and general economic growth, especially in the emerging markets, drove demand for power distribution solutions. Transmission-related investments, which generally come later in the economic cycle, remained at low levels.

A key measure of profitability – operational EBITDA – increased 22 percent on the strong revenue growth. The operational EBITDA margin declined on a combination of higher investments in sales and R&D, price erosion in the power business that was not fully offset by cost savings, and a less favorable revenue mix in the automation segments. Cash from operations rose significantly.

“This was a strong quarter where we continued to execute well, driving further revenue growth, cash generation and a solid increase in shareholder returns,” said Joe Hogan, ABB’s CEO. “We’re pleased with the growth and results in the quarter and for the first half of the year.”

“Looking ahead, it’s clear that macroeconomic concerns around public debt and inflation have increased recently. However, based on what we know today, we continue to expect strong demand for productivity and energy efficiency solutions in industry and a recovery in power transmission demand in the second half of the year.”