There are few European companies that can compete with their US counterparts while also withstanding the rise of Chinese industry. Analysts at APME FX have selected the Swedish-Swiss group ABB and the German engineering icon Siemens for the following comparison.
ABB Ltd.
ABB (Asea Brown Boveri) is a leading Swedish-Swiss multinational engineering and technology corporation headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. It was formed by a merger in 1988 of Swedish Asea and the Swiss Brown, Boveri & Cie (BBC). It specializes in electrification, automation, robotics, and drive technologies designed to improve energy efficiency and industrial productivity globally.
The company is currently experiencing strong momentum, driven by a strategic sweet spot where industrial automation and clean energy infrastructure intersect. A comprehensive look at the company reveals that its financial performance and sustainability metrics are highly interconnected, as its core products are designed to reduce carbon emissions through electrification and automation.
In the first quarter of 2026, ABB reported massive financial growth, with total orders surging 32% to $11.3 billion (+24% comparable) and revenues jumping 18% to $8.7 billion. This was heavily propelled by its electrification business, whose orders grew 44% on the back of AI data centre and infrastructure demand.
From a profitability standpoint, ABB reached a milestone operational EBITA margin of 23.5% in Q1 2026, up 320 basis points year-over-year. Even factoring out one-time real estate sales, underlying margins showed strong operational efficiency. Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) stood at a stellar 27.2%.
In the second quarter of 2026, the company expects a high single-digit to low double-digit growth in comparable revenues, year-on-year. The operational EBITA margin should improve year-on-year.[1]
In full-year 2026, ABB expects a positive book-to-bill, and a high single-digit to low double-digit growth in comparable revenues, year-on-year. The operational EBITA margin should improve year-on-year, even when excluding the real estate gain in the first quarter of 2026.
ABB is also making strong progress toward its sustainability goals. It achieved a 79% reduction in its own Scope 1 (Greenhouse gases released directly into the atmosphere from sources owned or controlled by the organization) and Scope 2 (Emissions generated off-site but associated with the organization’s purchased or acquired energy) greenhouse gas emissions compared to its 2019 baseline.
ABB’s primary sustainability value is external. The advanced products sold to clients in 2025 alone helped them avoid 80 megatons of CO2 emissions over their life cycle. ABB is aggressively on track toward its long-term ambition of helping customers avoid 600 megatons of GHG emissions between 2022 and 2030.[2]
The company has transitioned 98% of its operational electricity consumption to renewable sources. It targets sending zero waste to landfills by 2030, having already brought down total landfill waste to just 5.3%.
Key indicators of ABB, Ltd.
| bn USD | y/y change (%) | |
| Market cap. (1st June 2026) | 192.64 | +80.88 |
| Revenue (q1 2026) | 8.73 | +18.29 |
| Net income (q1 2026) | 1.32 | +20.01 |
Source: ABB Q1 2026 results
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational company. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the position of global market leader in industrial AI, automation, and industrial software.
The origins of the conglomerate can be traced back to 1847, to the Telegraphen Bau-Anstalt von Siemens & Halske established in Berlin by Werner von Siemens and Johann Georg Halske. In 1966, the present-day corporation emerged from the merger of three companies: Siemens & Halske, Siemens-Schuckert, and Siemens-Reiniger-Werke. Today headquartered in Munich and Berlin, Siemens and its subsidiaries employ approximately 320,000 people worldwide.
Following its annual close, Siemens posted a strong start to the 2026 fiscal year. Orders rose 10% on a comparable basis to €21.4 billion ($24.9 billion), heavily driven by data centre demand in the Smart Infrastructure segment.
Industrial profit jumped 15% to €2.9 billion ($3.34 billion), lifting the Industrial Business profit margin to 15.6%. The company’s management officially raised the fiscal 2026 target for EPS pre-PPA to a range of €10.70 to €11.10 (up from €10.40–€11.00), or roughly $12.45 to $12.90 (up from $12.10 to $12.80).
Beyond the financial results, Siemens evaluates, executes, and scales its environmental and social obligations through a holistic ESG framework called DEGREE (Decarbonization, Ethics, Governance, Resource efficiency, Equity, and Employability).
Siemens has slashed its operational Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 66% compared to its 2019 baseline. The target is a 90% absolute reduction by 2030. The company realized a 52% reduction in its waste-to-landfill rate since 2021, moving closer to its absolute zero-landfill target. [3]
Key Indicators of Siemens AG
| bn USD | y/y change (%) | |
| Market cap. (1st June 2026) | 249.12 | +27.62 |
| Revenue (q1 2026) | 22.27 | +4.31 |
| Net income (q1 2026) | 2.58 | -42.64 |
Source: Siemens Q1 2026 earnings release
Strong outlooks on both sides, with ABB in front
Both ABB and Siemens stand out as European industrial leaders well positioned against US and Chinese competition, and both are benefiting from the same wave of AI- and data-centre-driven demand for electrification and automation.
On the figures presented here, ABB delivered the stronger quarter in relative terms: orders surged 32% and revenues rose 18%, the operational EBITA margin reached 23.5%, and Return on Capital Employed stood at 27.2%. ABB also shows the more advanced operational decarbonisation record, with a 79% cut in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and 98% of its electricity drawn from renewable sources.
Siemens, by contrast, remains the larger group by both market capitalisation ($249 billion versus $193 billion) and revenue, and it likewise raised its full-year guidance on the back of 10% order growth and a 15% rise in industrial profit; its reported net income, however, fell by around 43% year-on-year, and its operational emissions reduction of 66% still trails ABB’s.
In short, ABB offers stronger momentum and profitability in the current period, while Siemens offers greater scale and a broad, well-structured sustainability framework as it works toward its 90% emissions-reduction target for 2030. [4]
Peter Svoreň, CEO ApmeFX Trading Europe Ltd.
[1,2,3,4] Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and current expectations, which may be inaccurate, or based on the current economic environment which is subject to change. Such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance. They involve risks and other uncertainties which are difficult to predict. Results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements.
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