Posten, the Swedish postal operator, said it has made a strong start to 2006 thanks to highervolumes and revenues driven by strong economic growth in the Nordic region.
The group increased first-quarter net sales by 8% to SEK 6,559 million. Operating profits soaredto SEK 646 million from SEK 173 million one year earlier, and Q1 net profits grew to SEK 541million from SEK 177 million. Posten increased business mail and periodical revenues by 6% due tohigher volumes, price increases and three extra working days during January-March, while directmail revenues rose 15%.
In its logistics business, covering parcels and freight, Posten increased revenues by 13%to SEK 1,843 million. Parcel revenues rose 8% due to higher DPD volumes in the Nordic countries aswell as more consumer parcels generated by e-commerce.
CEO Erik Olsson commented: “Our strategy for meeting the constant challenges faced by mail as acommunication device is to develop diverse combinations of physical and electronic communicationsolutions.” The acquisition of IT firm Strålfors would create a strong strategic platform forinformation logistics at Posten, he noted.
