The increase, at an annual rate of 40 percent, was greater than expected. The average analyst forecast for order intake was $11.4 billion, according to Bloomberg.
"Strong growth in two of our three business areas, with positive development in most customer segments. This was most clearly seen in the data center segment, where we saw a triple-digit increase," ABB writes in the report.
However, revenue was slightly lower than expected, at $9.7 billion versus the forecast $9.8 billion. Net profit of $1.2 billion compared with the average analyst forecast of $1.4 billion.