LINDE TURNOVER UP IN FIRST TWO MONTHS OF 1987 Engineering group Linde AG's <LING.F> world group turnover rose to 518.6 mln marks in the first two months of 1987, 5.2 pct more than in the same 1986 period, management board chairman Hans Meinhardt said. But world group incoming orders fell 2.2 pct to 587.3 mln marks, Meinhardt told the annual news conference. Excluding exchange rate movements, world group turnover rose 8.9 pct and incoming orders increased 1.0 pct. Linde expects satisfactory results and increased sales this year but Meinhardt gave no detailed forecast. Domestic group 1986 net profit rose to 105.79 mln marks from 80.71 mln. Meinhardt said domestic group turnover rose 6.7 pct to 394.1 mln marks in the first two 1987 months against the same period last year but incoming orders fell 5.2 pct to 456.6 mln. Linde will ask shareholders at the annual meeting on May 13 to raise authorised share capital by a maximum 30 mln marks nominal for the issue of share warrant bonds with a maximum issue volume of 200 mln marks. Linde's authorised share capital currently stands at a nominal 49.6 mln marks. Meinhardt said the authorisation would give the company the necessary flexibility in case Linde needed additional funds for acquisitions. He declined to give further details. While world group turnover rose 7.2 pct to 3.88 billion marks in 1986, incoming orders were barely changed at 3.91 billion marks. Meinhardt said without the sharp appreciation of the mark against major trading partner currencies, incoming orders would have been four pct above the prior year's level. World group turnover in heavy plant construction rose 7.4 pct to 777 mln marks, but incoming orders dropped 5.7 pct to 739 mln marks in the wake of the dollar and oil price plunge. World sales for technical gases rose 5.1 pct to 1.05 billion marks and incoming orders gained 5.2 pct to 1.05 billion marks. Meinhardt said Linde strengthened its market position in the refrigeration sector, with particularly strong turnover and order gains in Austria, Italy and Norway. World group sales in the sector fell 2.5 pct to 493 mln marks, but incoming orders rose 2.5 pct to 513 mln marks. The fork lift truck and hydraulic sector saw world group sales rising 12.4 pct to 1.52 billion marks and incoming orders gaining 8.0 pct to 1.57 billion marks. Domestic group turnover rose 8.2 pct to 2.93 billion marks and incoming orders increased 1.9 pct to 2.92 billion marks. The company was producing at full capacity in 1986.