The DHL Group has started the new financial year with a slight increase in sales and earnings. For the first quarter of 2025, the company reported sales of 20.8 billion euros, which is 2.8 percent above the same period last year. The operating profit (EBIT) rose by 4.5 percent to 1.37 billion euros. The globally positioned logistics company based in Germany speaks of a stable start to the year in a still challenging economic environment.
The development was supported by stringent cost and revenue management, according to a press release from the company. CEO Tobias Meyer stated:
"The economic environment in the first quarter of 2025 was characterized by US customs and trade policies and a general economic reluctance. Nevertheless, we were able to build on the positive momentum
of previous quarters with slight sales and earnings growth. This is also the result of stringent cost and revenue management. At the same time, we continue to invest in high-growth business areas and work on structurally improving our efficiency."
A benchmark for the operational business in road freight transport is particularly the DHL Global Forwarding, Freight division. Although sales here remained slightly positive, EBIT fell significantly. DHL attributes this to the economic weakness in German and European land transport. According to the company's information, the sea freight and air freight sectors developed stably.
Growth impulses came from other corporate areas, including DHL Supply Chain. This division recorded increases in sales, earnings, and margins in the first quarter. The group cites new contracts and efficiency gains through automation as drivers.
Revenue in the e-commerce sector also continued to rise. However, the development of earnings was slowed down by high write-offs on investments in the parcel network.
Another focus of the company is on structural measures. DHL launched the group-wide efficiency program "Fit for Growth" in March. The goal is to permanently reduce the company's cost base by over one billion euros by 2027. The program is part of the overarching Strategy 2030, with which DHL aims to secure competitiveness in the global logistics business.
The company particularly focuses on high-growth segments such as life sciences, healthcare, and new energy. Under the new brand "DHL Health Logistics," it is investing around two billion euros to expand logistics for pharmaceutical companies, clinical trials, and biotechnology.
In the express sector, resilience was
shown despite declining shipment volumes. With adjusted capacity management and price adjustments, DHL Express was able to increase sales and EBIT and improve profitability. In the domestic market of Germany, the postage increase for letters and the increased demand for parcels led to an expected increase in sales and earnings in the Post & Parcel sector. However, the regulatory challenges for the letter market remained.
Investments in the company's infrastructure amounted to 461 million euros in the first quarter, slightly below the previous year's figure. Free cash flow excluding acquisitions rose by 17.4 percent to 732 million euros. The corporate management reaffirmed its outlook for the entire year of 2025. An EBIT of at least 6 billion euros and a free cash flow of around 3 billion euros are
