Siemens reported first-quarter profit slightly ahead of expectations on Thursday despite the German engineering group seeing a slowdown at its flagship factory automation unit.
Digital Industries, which supplies companies with software and controllers to operate their production lines, saw new orders fall by a third as market conditions weakened.
Customers who built up stocks of components to avoid shortages last year also held off buying new equipment and decided to run down their stocks, Siemens said.
The downturn was seen most strongly in Asia and Australia, due particularly to weakening demand from China, it added.
"We anticipate regional differences in the way customers ultimately reduce their inventories to normal levels," Chief Executive Roland Busch told reporters.
Persons:
Roland Busch
Organizations:
Siemens, Digital Industries
Locations:
Asia, Australia, China, U.S, Germany