Deutsche Post AG

UPS, FedEx and DHL are returning eligible tariff payments to customers as the federal government refunds duties collected under policies overturned by the Supreme Court. UPS has applied for $500 million in refunds in the first phase and expects to recover roughly $5 billion in total, while FedEx is issuing $800 million in refunds to customers who were billed for the affected duties. DHL said it will return funds to the party that originally paid the duties once it receives refunds from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The refunds stem from a February 20 Supreme Court ruling that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act did not give the president authority to impose tariffs, with more than $100 billion in IEEPA tariffs already refunded to businesses as of early August. Consumers who were separately billed an IEEPA tariff by UPS, FedEx or DHL may be eligible for a refund, though those who paid higher retail prices without a separate tariff charge generally should not expect automatic refunds.

DHL Express has completed a $204 million expansion of its Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport gateway, tripling shipping capacity to 992 tons per day. The project is the company's largest investment in mainland China to date, with annual throughput expected to exceed 286,000 tons, about 10 times the volume handled by the previous gateway. DHL has also introduced a new dedicated air route using a widebody Boeing 767 cargo jet linking Shanghai, Bangkok, Bahrain, and Brussels to meet demand between China and key markets in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The expansion supports target sectors including AI data centers, semiconductors, technology, life sciences, healthcare, and next-generation energy, and aligns with the company's Heavyweight Express offering for larger shipments.

DHL and Vinted are expanding their alliance to grow a nationwide locker network for pre-owned fashion. Under the partnership, sellers on Vinted will be able to drop off parcels at DHL Packstations without prior registration, and buyers can collect items at any hour. DHL stated that the network, which includes Packstations, Poststations and DeinFach lockers, will grow from the current 18,500 sites to more than 30,000 nationwide by 2030. A central feature is locker-to-locker shipping, with DHL sending access codes via email and plans to integrate them into Vinted's app. DHL's latest E-Commerce Trends Report shows 70% of online sellers in Germany choose parcel shops or lockers for shipping, while 67% of German online shoppers have sold items through online marketplaces.

Deutsche Post, operating as DHL Group, raised its full-year 2026 EBIT outlook to more than €6.5 billion after second-quarter revenue rose 13% year over year and EBIT increased 30%, driven by higher shipment volumes, yield management and cost savings. DHL Express returned to volume growth with weight per day up 9%, while Global Forwarding recorded 7% volume growth in both ocean and air freight and Supply Chain posted 10% organic revenue growth. Supply Chain also secured €4 billion in new contract value during the first half. The company maintained its €3 billion free-cash-flow target and expanded its share-buyback authorization to €6.5 billion through 2027, with up to €1.5 billion still available for future repurchases.

Leidos Holdings has launched Parcata, an AI-driven platform that autonomously detects and patches cybersecurity vulnerabilities in real time, and has partnered with DHL Supply Chain to support the UK Ministry of Defence with upgraded logistics and supply chain services. Both developments are positioned as part of Leidos' NorthStar 2030 strategy and were announced ahead of mid 2026. Leidos shares recently closed at $114.37, with the stock up 6.6% over the past week and 13.9% over the past month, though it is down 37.7% year to date and 28.2% over the past year. The launch of Parcata and the DHL partnership add fresh company-specific developments for investors to track, potentially shaping where the company focuses capital and engineering talent under its NorthStar 2030 plan.

Vinted has entered a strategic partnership with DHL Group to let users in Germany ship and collect second-hand items through DHL’s network of Packstations, Poststations, and DeinFach lockers. The collaboration follows a multi-month pilot and aims to make peer-to-peer purchases as convenient as online retail, with a particular focus on locker-to-locker shipping that allows sellers to drop off parcels anytime and buyers to collect them whenever they choose. DHL operates 41,000 parcel drop-off and collection points in Germany, and its automated locker network is set to grow from 18,500 to more than 30,000 locations by 2030. Vinted, which makes money through buyer protection fees and seller subscriptions, says the average fashion item on its platform is $72 cheaper than original retail prices, while DHL notes that 67% of German online shoppers have sold items via digital platforms and about 70% use parcel shops or lockers for second-hand trades.

DHL eCommerce has agreed to acquire Lithuania-based Venipak Group, expanding its parcel delivery reach in the Baltic states. The deal will fold Venipak operating companies in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia into DHL eCommerce, giving DHL full ownership in a region experiencing strong e-commerce growth. Venipak is one of the largest independent parcel operators in the Baltic region, with about 800 parcel lockers and an extensive network of out-of-home pick-up points. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, and the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Venipak will continue to operate under its existing brand during integration, with current management and employees remaining in their roles.

Leidos Holdings and DHL have formed a strategic alliance to pursue the UK Ministry of Defence's Future Defence Support Services programme. Operating as the Logistics & Mission Support Alliance, the partnership combines Leidos' defence integration expertise with DHL's logistics capabilities to deliver integrated and scalable logistics support. The alliance will function as a single team, managing infrastructure and maintaining surge capacity for defence operations, while leveraging advanced technologies including artificial intelligence, data analytics and automation to optimize logistics and improve demand forecasting. On XETRA, DHL shares were trading 0.11 percent down at 56.92 euros, while Leidos shares were down 0.99 percent at $107.22 in pre-market activity on the NYSE.

Deutsche Post has raised its full-year 2026 earnings outlook after reporting preliminary second-quarter results with double-digit revenue growth and stronger-than-expected earnings. The company now expects reported Group EBIT to exceed €6.5 billion, with DHL divisions projected above €5.9 billion, driven by solid demand in DHL Express and ongoing benefits from its Fit for Growth cost measures. The stock has gained 10.9% over the past month and 20.2% year to date, with a one-year total shareholder return of 49.6%. Despite the raised guidance, a widely followed narrative pegs fair value at €50.67, below the last close of €56.38, suggesting the stock may be overvalued by 11.3%, though its price-to-earnings ratio of 17.7 times sits well below peer averages of 30.1 times and its own fair ratio of 20.8 times.

DHL Express has managed to secure its kerosene supplies through the summer months despite jet fuel prices more than doubling from $800 per tonne before the U.S.-Iran conflict to a peak of $1,903 in April, according to its European CEO Mike Parra. The company, which operates one of Europe's largest aircraft fleets with 295 planes and delivered 248 million shipments last year, diversified its fuel purchasing markets to include the U.S., South Korea and Nigeria, employed tankering to avoid higher prices at destinations, and expanded its use of sustainable aviation fuel to one-tenth of its total air fuel with a target of 30% by 2030. DHL Express also adjusted its fuel surcharge, which peaked at 48.75% and now stands at 40.75%, updating it weekly based on a monthly lag to reflect frequent price changes. In the Middle East, the company introduced a security risk surcharge for deliveries into war-impacted areas and implemented road linehaul routes where landing planes is unsafe, while remaining committed to the region with plans to invest more than €500 million, focusing on Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Shipping companies have started passing along over $1 billion in tariff refunds to customers. FedEx has received $800 million from the US government and will begin payouts in August. UPS has applied for about $500 million as part of phase 1 of the government program, with total potential refunds of $5 billion. DHL confirmed money is already flowing to customers but did not disclose a dollar amount. Phase 2 of the CAPE program launches June 29, with phase 3 expected by end of July, expanding eligible refunds.

Air Hong Kong, a freighter subsidiary of Cathay Pacific Airways, has signed a lease with Ohio-based Air Transport Services Group for an Airbus A330 passenger-converted cargo jet, bringing its all-A330 fleet to 15 aircraft. The parent company announced the transaction on Thursday, saying Air Hong Kong will preliminarily use the new medium widebody aircraft to serve mainland China and other regional destinations on behalf of leading customer DHL Express. The A330 freighter will join Air Hong Kong's fleet in the fourth quarter. The deal is noteworthy for ATSG because it is only the third A330-300 the company has paid to convert to cargo configuration and placed with a customer.

ALTO Real Estate Funds has executed a full-building lease with DHL at ALTO Pinto 45, a 586,919-square-foot Class A industrial facility in South Dallas. The lease, completed in May 2026 with operations expected to begin in August 2026, brings the property to 100% occupancy and secures a global logistics leader as the long-term tenant. ALTO Pinto 45 is strategically located near key transportation corridors and intermodal infrastructure to serve regional and national distribution needs. CEO Yaniv Melamud credited the outcome to a coordinated effort across ALTO's investment, development, and operating teams, along with collaboration with partners, consultants, and the leasing team. ALTO continues to develop and invest in Class A industrial properties across Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin, targeting locations benefiting from long-term population growth, infrastructure investment, and evolving supply chain demand.

U.S. importers stand to receive an estimated $166 billion in tariff refunds, and some of their customers are now seeking a share. Glen Frost, founding partner of Frost Law Firm, says he is helping downstream businesses—companies that did not pay tariffs directly but faced higher prices from importers—obtain refunds from their suppliers, and has already had some success in getting suppliers to cooperate. Frost argues that importers who keep the refunds without sharing them are receiving an unjust enrichment, and notes that many suppliers did not explicitly break out the tariff costs passed on to customers. Large shippers like FedEx, DHL, and UPS have announced plans to issue refunds to customers because their invoices separately itemized the tariffs, making downstream refunds simpler. Legal experts say downstream businesses may also have contractual remedies, though business-to-business disputes may be resolved through arbitration rather than public court cases, and any refunds received could be taxable income under the tax benefit rule.