Deutsche Post World Net provides preview of third quarter 2008
Deutsche Post World Net recorded a decline in EBIT before non-recurring effects of around 8 percent in the third quarter compared with last year’s 468 million euros as the global economic environment deteriorated markedly. Third-quarter reported EBIT rose 26 percent from last year’s 1.68 billion euros, reflecting a 572 million-euro non-recurring effect on EBIT due to a repayment from the German government following a court decision on EU level. In the first nine months, underlying EBIT gained 1.3 percent compared with the year-earlier period.
The Group now expects underlying EBIT for 2008 of around 2.4 billion euros, some 10 percent below last year’s result and 17 percent below the previous guidance. Adjusted for the accounting changes following the agreement to sell a 29.75 percent stake in Deutsche Postbank AG to Deutsche Bank AG, the Group previously had forecast EBIT of around 2.9 billion euros. Including Postbank, the forecast was 4.1 billion euros. For transparency reasons, the Group will be showing EBIT without Postbank going forward. The main shortfall will be seen in the EXPRESS Corporate Division, which is being particularly impacted by deteriorating market conditions in the U.S. The Group also recorded volume shortfalls in other regions, but those could be mitigated through cost-cutting. Other divisions are likely to be slightly below previous guidance.
