DHL Group raises earnings forecast after pre-tax income jumps 29%

Express division contributed lion’s share of company’s second-quarter growth

DHL Group CEO Tobias Meyer addresses the annual general meeting on May 5, 2026. (Photo: DHL)

DHL Group on Tuesday raised its full-year earnings outlook after posting strong preliminary results for the second quarter, including 10% growth in revenue and a 29% gain in pre-tax income.

The Germany-based integrated parcel logistics company said it saw positive demand compared to the same 2025 quarter, which was impacted by tariffs and other trade policy shifts, and continued savings from its Fit for Growth efficiency campaign. 

DHL’s (XETRA: DHL) 2026 earnings before interest and taxes is now expected to exceed 6.5 billion euros compared to the previous guidance of 6.2 billion euros (equivalent to $7.43 billion vs. $7.1 billion), assuming geopolitical conditions in the Middle East and elsewhere don’t worsen.

DHL said revenue increased by more than 10% year over year and that EBIT reached $2.1 billion. 

DHL Express reported EBIT of about $1.4 billion, nearly double the income for the prior year period, which DHL attributed to greater weight per shipment and the higher pricing that enables. About $171 million in income benefit came from capacity constraints in the air cargo market, as the Iran war forced Middle East carriers to significantly reduce operations.

DHL’s forwarding division generated EBIT of about $274.3 million, up 24.4% year over year. DHL Supply Chain earnings declined 12.3% to $348.6 million, partly due to a positive one-time gain in 2025.

DHL eCommerce reported EBIT of about $57.1 million, a 10.7% decline from the second quarter last year. 

Post & Parcel Germany achieved EBIT of about $154.3 million, down 18.7%.

During the first quarter, DHL Group revenue dipped 1.9% while pre-tax income jumped 20.6% due to aggressive capacity management, cost discipline and yield management.
DHL is scheduled to report final second-quarter results on Aug. 5.

Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.

Write to Eric Kulisch at ekulisch@freightwaves.com.

DHL Group boosts profit despite lower shipment volumes, revenue

Upcoming FreightWaves Events
AI

Supply Chain AI Symposium

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

July 15, 2026
The Old Post • Chicago, IL
Register Now
FreightTech

F3: Future of Freight Festival

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

October 27, 2026 – October 28, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
AI Supply Chain AI Symposium Jul 15 • The Old Post • Chicago, IL

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

The Old Post • Chicago, IL Register Now
FreightTech F3: Future of Freight Festival Oct 27 – Oct 28 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now

Eric Kulisch

Eric is the Parcel and Air Cargo Editor at FreightWaves. An award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering the logistics sector, Eric spent nearly two years as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Automotive News, where he focused on regulatory and policy issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, mobility, fuel economy and safety. He has won two regional Gold Medals and a Silver Medal from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for government and trade coverage, and news analysis. He was voted best for feature writing and commentary in the Trade/Newsletter category by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He was runner up for News Journalist and Supply Chain Journalist of the Year in the Seahorse Freight Association's 2024 journalism award competition. In December 2022, Eric was voted runner up for Air Cargo Journalist. He won the group's Environmental Journalist of the Year award in 2014 and was the 2013 Supply Chain Journalist of the Year. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. He has appeared on Marketplace, ABC News and National Public Radio to talk about logistics issues in the news. Eric is based in Vancouver, Washington. He can be reached for comments and tips at ekulisch@freightwaves.com