Business

Siemens launches up to €6bn share buyback as software and AI businesses gain momentum

Siemens announced a share buyback program of up to €6 billion and raised profit guidance for several divisions after an 11% increase in second-quarter order backlog, driven largely by software and smart infrastructure demand.

Siemens has unveiled a share repurchase program of up to €6 billion, intended to run for up to five years. The company said the plan reflects confidence in its cash-generation capacity.

Quarterly results and order backlog

In its second financial quarter, Siemens reported an 11 percent rise in order backlog, driven chiefly by demand for software solutions and intelligent building technologies. At the same time, group profit fell and slightly missed analyst expectations.

Performance by key divisions

  • Digital Industries, which develops factory software and automation technologies, recorded a 35 percent increase in profit. Siemens attributed this expansion mainly to higher software revenues. Although an earlier shift to subscription pricing had initially restrained revenues, the company has now raised the division's revenue-growth and margin guidance.

  • Smart Infrastructure saw its order backlog grow by 26 percent, with sales to data centers expanding by triple digits. The division has benefited from broader electrification trends.

  • Mobility also experienced higher orders, but profit declined due to U.S. tariffs and a delayed project. As a result, Siemens downgraded revenue outlooks for this business unit.

Risks and the regulatory environment

Company management cited war, inflation and supply-chain risks among market threats. On the regulatory front, there was a favorable development: the European Union reached a provisional agreement to streamline AI rules that distinguishes industrial from consumer-focused technologies. That differentiation reduces some bureaucratic hurdles for industrial players such as Siemens.

Roland Busch, the company’s CEO, had previously warned that Siemens might relocate AI investments to other regions if regulation did not change.

AI initiatives and acquisition plans

In April, at the Hannover industrial fair, Siemens demonstrated an agent-based system capable of autonomously writing machine code — a step the company highlights in AI and automation. Siemens is also in talks to acquire Italian rail-technology firm Mer Mec, a deal that could strengthen Mobility’s software offerings.

As part of Busch’s strategy, Siemens has expanded its software portfolio through acquisitions in recent years: the purchases of Dotmatics and Altair together amounted to $15 billion. At the same time, the group has divested several businesses, including Siemens Energy.

Other corporate moves

Shareholders will vote in February 2027 on the potential sale of Siemens’ majority stake in Siemens Healthineers.

Why this matters

The buyback and upgraded guidance for several divisions indicate management’s growing confidence in Siemens’ cash generation and the momentum of its software businesses. Nonetheless, external pressures — international tariffs, project delays and geopolitical uncertainty — remain material risks, and the evolving regulatory framework will be pivotal for future AI investments.