2nd-Quarter Net Up 3.6% at Rockwell International

Rockwell International said its fiscal second-quarter profit rose 3.6% from a year earlier on an 11% sales gain.

The aerospace and electronics concern said net income for the quarter ended March 31 climbed to $160.3 million from $154.6 million a year ago.

Sales increased to $3.1 billion from $2.8 billion.

“The second-quarter net income is in line with our earlier projections of somewhat improved earnings for the full 1986 year,” Robert Anderson, chairman of the Pittsburgh-based builder of the B-1B bomber and general contractor for the space shuttle, said in a statement.

Aerospace operating profit increased to $153 million from $130.8 million a year ago, due in part to increased production of the bomber, the company said.

Earnings in electronics and general industries businesses rose slightly, while earnings in Rockwell’s automotive business fell, in large part because of fewer sales of heavy-duty trucks.

The company’s backlog of orders, including unfunded government orders, swelled from $9.9 billion a year ago to $13.9 billion as of March 31. The current backlog includes $1.9 billion in commercial orders, $9.4 billion in funded government orders and $2.5 billion in unfunded government orders.