Strong mid-year results for Posten

Posten is reporting growth and an increase in earnings for all core operations. Net sales increased by 15%, totaling just over SEK 15 billion. At the same time, our operating earnings improved bya full 30 percent. This is evidence of our strength, and shows that we have succeededin the transition to our new operational structure without losing momentum. Posten has been able to combine an increased level of specialization with its reliable delivery quality and unique ability to reach all of Sweden's households and companies each workday. Not only has this enabled us to increase sales for our existing customers, but we have also competed and won valuable contracts with new customers. 

We are especially pleased that our logistics operations have defied increasingly tough international competition to grow a full 12 percent during the year's first six months. With operating earnings of SEK 196m (-76), we can clearly see that our rationalization and specialization activities have had the necessary effects. With continued growth maintaining profitability we continue to develop into the most self-evident strategic partner for companies looking for Nordic logistics solutions. 

The parallel development within Stralfors is going according to plan, as the company is experiencing both strong growth in information logistics and keeping the integration of the printing operations on schedule. 

The projects and ongoing rationalization activities that Posten is conducting allows us to present a broader and more competitive portfolio of communication and logistics services. Proof of our ability to streamline operations lies in the fact that every quarter has shown a measurable increase in productivity since the beginning of 2003.  

Competition is increasing for all our operations. The Swedish postal market has been completely deregulated since 1993. Now it will be very interesting to follow the upcoming decision-making process for a fully deregulated EU postal market. This will bring interesting development opportunities for Posten, thanks in part to Stralfors' platform in Europe. The Swedish Parliament's decision on June 14th has been an important milestone. The decision means that Posten's obligation to provide essential financial transaction services through the Cashier Service will cease as of January 1, 2009. This welcome decision eliminates the uncertainty that has surrounded the future of the Cashier Service within Posten. 

Erik Olsson
President and CEO  

The entire report can be downloaded via the link below 

Please direct any questions to :
Posten's Press Office, tel: + 46 (0)8-23 10 10  

 Posten connects people and organizations around the world by delivering mail promptly, reliably and cost-effectively. We drive value creation by combining conventional postal services and convenient electronic solutions, and integrating these services into customer businesses. With approximately 4,000 retail service outlets, we provide daily service to 4.5 million homes and 900,000 businesses in Sweden. Every day we handle close to 20 million pieces of mail. With sales of nearly SEK 30 billion and more than 30,000 employees, the group is one of the largest in Sweden. The group's parent, Posten AB publ), is wholly owned by the Swedish state. For more information, please visit our website at www.posten.se