The Gulf state of Qatar has taken a stake of just over 3 per cent in Siemens, continuing a phase of investments in a series of European blue-chip companies.
The investment was disclosed by Siemens in a regulatory filing.
Qatar had first indicated ownership of a smaller amount of the industrial group’s shares in March, with options to acquire a further stake.
Qatar, which is sitting on substantial wealth from its natural gas resources, has taken a string of equity stakes in Europe including in Royal Dutch Shell earlier this month.
Qatar Holding, an investment arm of the emirate’s sovereign wealth fund, already holds shares in a number of Germany’s best-known companies including a 17 per cent voting stake in carmaker Volkswagen.
Siemens is Germany’s largest company by market capitalisation and has no substantial “anchor” investor.
However, a stake of about 6 per cent in the industrial group is held by Siemens family members.
Most of the company is in the hands of international institutional investors. Siemens declined to comment on the Qatar investment.
The investment appears to highlight the appeal of German assets to investors from outside Europe, at a time when the eurozone’s largest economy is showing an ability to weather the continent’s financial crisis.
Many German companies also have investor appeal because of the growing share of their profits generated in emerging markets.