Siemens has presented its figures for the 2020 fiscal year. The Group generated revenue of €57.139 billion in the 2020 fiscal year (2019: €58.483 billion). At EUR 59.977 billion, order intake was around 7% below the previous year's figure of EUR 64.682 billion. The book-to-bill ratio was 1.05. Profit after tax amounted to EUR 4.200 billion, down on the previous year (EUR 5.648 billion). The business figures for the segments can be found on the second page.

CEO Joe Kaeser is satisfied with the results for fiscal 2020 and believes Siemens is well equipped for the future: "With the three Siemens companies Siemens Healthineers, Siemens Energy and the new 'Industrial' Siemens AG, we have created the conditions to master the greatest disruptive change of our time." This has laid the foundation for the future. "Now the increase in value creation can begin at a higher level - through even greater focus and forward-looking transformation," Kaeser continued in his speech on the occasion of the publication of the 2020 business figures.

Siemens Healthineers has long been an independent unit within the Siemens Group; the company went public on January 16, 2018. The IPO of Siemens Energy took place on September 28, but the company got off to a weak start and is reporting losses. In recent days, Siemens Energy has announced that it will no longer participate in tenders for new coal-fired power plants with immediate effect, thereby also responding to shareholder demands. Siemens is therefore withdrawing from the new coal-fired power plant business, but not from the retrofitting and conversion business.

The segments at a glance

Digital Industrie generated sales of EUR 3.881 billion in the 4th quarter (FY 2019: EUR 4.24 billion). Incoming orders amounted to EUR 3.925 billion (FY 2019: EUR 4.005 billion). At EUR 1.227 billion, earnings (adjusted EBITA) were higher than in the 2019 financial year at EUR 792 million.

The software business also recorded double-digit percentage growth in the fourth quarter. According to the Group, a number of major orders from Mentor are partly responsible for this. The automation business continued to face weaker demand, particularly from the automotive and mechanical engineering industries. In addition, negative currency translation effects led to an overall decline in incoming orders. Asia and Australia reported an increase in orders and sales revenue; China recorded double-digit growth.

The Group also attributes Digital Industry's good result to the fact that lower sales revenue was partially offset by cost reductions and savings due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Smart Infrastructure

Smart Infrastructure segment revenue fell from EUR 4.181 billion in Q4 2019 to EUR 3.905 billion in 2020. Incoming orders amounted to EUR 3.782 billion (Q4/2019: EUR 4.215 billion). Adjusted EBITA rose from EUR 549 million to EUR 586 million; this was due to a gain of EUR 159 million from the sale of a business.

Although incoming orders in the product business increased on a comparable basis, they were below the strong level of the previous year. This is due to the low number of large orders in the solutions and service business as well as unfavorable currency translation effects. The latter also had a negative impact on the development of sales revenue.

Mobility

The Mobility segment increased its order intake in the fourth quarter compared to the same period of the previous year: from EUR 1.827 billion to EUR 2.080 billion. Sales revenue fell from EUR 2.500 billion to EUR 2.446 billion; adjusted EBITA fell from EUR 299 million to EUR 241 million.

The rail infrastructure and service business were particularly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. As a result of the restrictions, employees only had limited access to customer locations. In addition, public transport mileage declined. The increase in incoming orders is due to major orders, including the first order for 100 dual-power locomotives from the framework agreement for up to 400 vehicles in Germany. There is also an order for signal infrastructure in Singapore.

Siemens Healthineers

Siemens Healthineers was also able to increase its order intake in the fourth quarter: This rose from €4.643 billion to €4.814 billion compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Growth was particularly strong in the Americas, Europe, CIS, Africa and the Near and Middle East. However, the positive impact remained low due to negative currency translation effects.

Sales revenue fell from EUR 4.142 billion in Q4/2019 to EUR 3.876 billion. The decline in the Americas and Asia, Australia was only partially offset by growth in Europe/GANO. Adjusted EBITA (Q4/2020: EUR 590 million; Q4/2019: EUR 771 million) declined, mainly in the Diagnostics business due to lower test volumes for routine tests and higher costs due to COVID-19.