The world’s second-biggest package-shipper continues to keep pace with its larger rival, United Parcel Service. Both businesses climbed three rungs on this year’s Fortune 500 ladder, their revenues each growing by around 9% for their 2018 fiscal years. In FedEx’s case, annual sales swelled to $65.5 billion for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2018—a little more than $6 billion short of its arch-competitor. FedEx’s bottom line benefited from a number of factors, most notably a major corporate tax cut in the U.S. The boon helped boost profits by 52.6%, to $4.6 billion. An obstacle worth keeping an eye on: The company’s 2016 acquisition of Dutch delivery firm TNT Express, intended to expand its international footprint, has proven challenging. FedEx has struggled to assimilate TNT; to make matters worse, the acquired firm was hobbled by the NotPetya cyberattack in 2017, which cost an estimated $400 million in lost business and cleanup.
Company Info
| CEO | Frederick W. Smith |
| CEO Title | Chairman & Chief Executive Officer |
| Sector | Transportation |
| Industry | Mail, Package, and Freight Delivery |
| HQ Location | Memphis, Tenn. |
| Website | www.fedex.com |
| Years on Fortune 500 List | 25 |
| Employees | 359,000 |
Key Financials (Last Fiscal Year)
| Revenues ($M) | $65,450 |
| Profits ($M) | $4,572 |
| Assets ($M) | $52,330 |
| Total Stockholder Equity ($M) | $19,416 |
Profit Ratios
| Profit as % of Revenues | 7.0% |
| Profits as % of Assets | 8.7% |
| Profits as % of Stockholder Equity | 23.5% |
Earnings Per Share (Last Fiscal Year)
| Earnings Per Share ($) | 17 |
| EPS % Change (from 2017) | 51.7% |
| EPS % Change (5 year annual rate) | 27.9% |
| EPS % Change (10 year annual rate) | 16.6% |
Total Return
| Total Return to Investors (2018) | -34.7% |
| Total Return to Investors (5 year, annualized) | 3.1% |
| Total Return to Investors (10 year, annualized) | 10.4% |
