ASEA GROUP <ASEAY> SEES FLAT 1987 EARNINGS Asea Group, the diversified industrial concern based in Vasteras, Sweden, said it expects 1987 earnings, after financial income and expense, to be flat compared with 1986, when it earned 2.53 billion Swedish crowns, or 371.1 mln dlrs. A company spokesman said 1986 results were boosted significantly by the booking of two large orders for nuclear power plants. This gain, he said, will be balanced in 1987 by a return to profitability by Asea's power transmission segment, which had a loss of 183 mln crowns, or 26.9 mln dlrs, last year. Currency conversions were made at 6.81 crowns to the dlr. The spokesman said the company has built up a strong backlog of orders that will contribute to earnings in 1988 and beyond. At yearend 1986, Asea's order backlog stood at 32.7 billion crowns, or 4.8 billion dlrs, up from 30.9 billion, or 4.5 billion dlrs, at the end of 1985. Asea has operations in power generation and transmission, transportation equipment, pollution control and robotics. Total sales in 1986 were 46 billion crowns, or 6.8 billion dlrs.