Postal service profits

Deutsche Post DHL's net profit grew by 43 percent in 2012, soaring to 1.66 billion euros ($2.1 billion) in 2012 from 1.16 billion euros in the previous year of 2011, the German postal and logistics giant said in its 2012 earnings report released Tuesday.

As revenue rose by about 5 percent, operating profit increased to 2.6 billion euros – up 9.4 percent, the report said.

"This increase mainly reflects the exceptional market position that DHL maintains in the world's regions, especially in Asia," the company's Chief Executive Frank Appel said in a statement.

Deliveries worldwide

The formerly state-owned German postal service operates in more than 220 countries and territories around the globe and has come to generate about 70 percent of its revenues outside of Germany.

In 2012, earnings grew by about a quarter within its DHL express division and by more than 50 percent at its mail facilities, mainly because of strong Internet-generated parcel business.

Business boomed especially booming around Christmas 2012, Deutsche Post said, lifting net profit in the fourth quarter alone threefold to 542 million euros.

In its outlook for 2013, the concern said it expected increasing revenues particularly in its DHL divisions, leading to projected operating profit of between 2.7 and 2.95 billion euros.

uhe/ipj (AFP, AP, Reuters)