Altair deal could be funded by other companies, including Siemens.

Ralf Thomas, chief financial officer of Siemens, said that the company could sell a portion of its shares in Siemens Healthineers and Siemens Energy, as well as Fluence, to fund the $10.6 billion Altair purchase.

Siemens owns 75% of medical equipment manufacturer Siemens Healthineers, 17% of Siemens Energy and 31% in energy storage company Fluence.

Thomas, an analyst, told investors that the sale of listed companies could generate substantial revenue.

The specific intention to use proceeds from the sale of shares in listed companies clearly relates to this transaction, he said. He was referring to Altair's acquisition.

Siemens made around 3.5 billion euro ($3.81 billion), from the sale of its Innomotics electric drives and motors business. The deal was completed in this month.

Thomas stated that "we have always maintained that we do not hold a religious view of a 75% stake in Siemens Healthineers." "So, 5%, plus or minus, would be an acceptable assumption for a sale down."

The executive stated that Siemens would reduce its Siemens Energy stake "within the next two months".

Siemens will still try to minimize the impact on stock prices.

Thomas stated that Siemens' previous reduction in Siemens Energy investments was made without "major noises or waves on the market."

Thomas stated that "we will protect the share prices of those affected companies." (1 dollar = 0.9191 euro) (Reporting and editing by John Revill; Eliza Hardcastle, Miranda Murray)

(source: Reuters)