The electronic structures and chemical bonding of selected ternary compounds of the A 4 T 7 X 6 family (of U 4 Re 7 Si 6 -type) intermetallics have been studied by ab initio methods. The calculations for two series: Mg 4 Rh 7 P 6 , Sc 4 Co 7 Ge 6 , Ti 4 Co 7 Ge 6 and uranium containing U 4 Re 7 Si 6 , U 4 Ru 7 Ge 6 , and U 4 Ru 7 As 6 show common bonding characteristics pertaining to main T1–X and T2–X interactions (T = transition metal and X = p-element) due to the peculiar crystal chemistry with T1@X 6 and T2@X 4 coordination polyhedra. The uranium compounds are found to be stabilized in a spin polarized ferromagnetic configuration, especially for U 4 Ru 7 Ge 6 (in agreement with experiment) and U 4 Ru 7 As 6 .