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United Parcel Service Inc.: Q3 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 28 October 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 2 new, 6 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue of $21.4 billion: Consolidated revenue was $21.4 billion. Operating profit was $1.8 billion, or $2.1 billion on a non-GAAP adjusted basis. Source
  • Diluted EPS of $1.55 reported: Diluted EPS was $1.55 and non-GAAP adjusted diluted EPS was $1.74, against $1.80 and $1.76 in the third quarter of 2024. Source
  • Largest customer volume planned lower: Management tied the network reconfiguration to planned volume declines from its largest customer, net of certain additional volume the company has elected to serve. Source
  • Operational workforce cut by 34,000: Operational workforce was reduced by about 34,000 positions and daily operations closed at 93 buildings in the first nine months. The second-quarter release expected about 20,000 positions in 2025. Source
  • Consolidated adjusted margin 10.0%: Consolidated operating margin was 8.4% on a GAAP basis and 10.0% non-GAAP adjusted, with non-GAAP adjusted operating profit of $2,132 million. Source
  • Sale-leaseback added $0.30 to EPS: A sale-leaseback of five properties produced a $330 million pre-tax gain in Supply Chain Solutions and added $0.30 to diluted EPS. Management called it part of a broader real estate strategy. Source

“We are executing the most significant strategic shift in our company’s history, and the changes we are implementing are designed to deliver long-term value for all stakeholders.”

Carol Tomé, UPS chief executive officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Consolidated revenue SourceFourth quarter 2025approximately $24.0 billionNew
Non-GAAP adjusted operating margin SourceFourth quarter 2025approximately 11.0% - 11.5%New
Effective tax rate SourceFull year 2025approximately 23.75%Raised from approximately 23.5%
Capital expenditures SourceFull year 2025approximately $3.5 billionKept
Dividend payments SourceFull year 2025around $5.5 billion, subject to Board approvalKept
Pension contributions SourceFull year 2025$1.4 billionKept
Share repurchases SourceFull year 2025around $1.0 billion, completedKept
Network initiative cost savings SourceFull year 2025, year over year$3.5 billionKept
Transformation expense excluded from non-GAAP adjusted results SourceFull year 2025between $400 and $650 millionKept

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Fourth-quarter revenue and margin guidance is given for the first time in this release. The second-quarter release stated no revenue or operating profit guidance because of macro-economic uncertainty.
  • Guidance raised: The full-year effective tax rate assumption rose to approximately 23.75% from approximately 23.5% in the second-quarter release. Source
  • Guidance kept: Capital expenditures, dividends, pension contributions, share repurchases, expected savings and the transformation expense range were confirmed without change from the second-quarter release. Source
  • New: A sale-leaseback of five properties in Supply Chain Solutions was completed in the third quarter; it was not in the second-quarter release. Source
  • New: Prior-year segment amounts were recast so air cargo results sit in U.S. Domestic; consolidated results are unchanged. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue of $21.4 billion: Consolidated revenue was $21.4 billion. Operating profit was $1.8 billion, or $2.1 billion on a non-GAAP adjusted basis. Source
  • Diluted EPS of $1.55 reported: Diluted EPS was $1.55 and non-GAAP adjusted diluted EPS was $1.74, against $1.80 and $1.76 in the third quarter of 2024. Source
  • Transformation costs weighed on GAAP: GAAP results carried a net $164 million charge, or $0.19 per diluted share, from $250 million of after-tax transformation costs less an $86 million tax valuation allowance reversal. Source

Segments and regions

  • U.S. Domestic revenue down 2.6%: U.S. Domestic revenue was $14,220 million against $14,597 million, with operating profit of $603 million. Management attributed the decline to an expected fall in volume. Source
  • International revenue up 5.9%: International revenue was $4,673 million against $4,411 million a year earlier, with operating profit of $676 million. The company cited a rise in average daily volume. Source
  • Supply Chain Solutions revenue down 22.1%: Supply Chain Solutions revenue was $2,522 million against $3,237 million, mainly because of the 2024 Coyote divestiture. Operating profit was $525 million. Source

“With the holiday shipping season nearly upon us, we are positioned to run the most efficient peak in our history while providing industry-leading service to our customers for the eighth consecutive year.”

Carol Tomé, UPS chief executive officer

Volumes and largest customer

  • Largest customer volume planned lower: Management tied the network reconfiguration to planned volume declines from its largest customer, net of certain additional volume the company has elected to serve. Source
  • Labor-related volume diversions cited: Management lists post-COVID normalization and volume diversions tied to the 2023 labor negotiations among the circumstances behind the transformation initiatives. Source
  • Daily U.S. volume below prior year: Average daily U.S. Domestic package volume was 16,150 thousand pieces in the third quarter and 16,707 thousand for the nine months, against 18,407 and 18,116 thousand a year earlier. Source

Costs and workforce

  • Operational workforce cut by 34,000: Operational workforce was reduced by about 34,000 positions and daily operations closed at 93 buildings in the first nine months. The second-quarter release expected about 20,000 positions in 2025. Source
  • $2.2 billion savings realized to date: Realized network cost savings reached about $2.2 billion as of September 30, measured on the year-over-year volume change from the largest customer. Source
  • Program costs to date $422 million: Program costs to date total $422 million as of September 30, of which $387 million was incurred in the first nine months of 2025. Source
  • U.S. Domestic cost per piece up 10.4%: Non-GAAP adjusted U.S. Domestic cost per piece was $12.63 against $11.44, up 10.4%. GAAP cost per piece was $12.92, up 12.3%. Source

Margins and pricing

  • Consolidated adjusted margin 10.0%: Consolidated operating margin was 8.4% on a GAAP basis and 10.0% non-GAAP adjusted, with non-GAAP adjusted operating profit of $2,132 million. Source
  • U.S. Domestic margin 4.2%, adjusted 6.4%: U.S. Domestic operating margin was 4.2% against 5.8% a year earlier. The non-GAAP adjusted margin was 6.4% against 6.3%. Source
  • International margin 14.5%, down from 18.1%: International operating margin was 14.5% against 18.1% in the third quarter of 2024. The non-GAAP adjusted margin was 14.8% against 18.0%. Source
  • Supply Chain Solutions margin 20.8%: Supply Chain Solutions operating margin was 20.8% against 10.6% a year earlier. The prior-year figure included a $156 million gain on the Coyote divestiture. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Sale-leaseback added $0.30 to EPS: A sale-leaseback of five properties produced a $330 million pre-tax gain in Supply Chain Solutions and added $0.30 to diluted EPS. Management called it part of a broader real estate strategy. Source
  • Nine-month free cash flow $2,744 million: Free cash flow for the nine months was $2,744 million, after operating cash flow of $5,148 million, $2,969 million of capital expenditures and $585 million of property disposal proceeds. Source
  • Valuation allowance now fully reversed: The third-quarter reversal of $86 million followed a partial reversal in the second quarter. Management now expects all of these capital losses to be realized. Source

Strategy, transformation and leadership

  • Network of the Future expanded: Network Reconfiguration and Efficiency Reimagined extends Network of the Future automation and sort consolidation into facility consolidation, workforce change and end-to-end process redesign. Source
  • Fit to Serve targeted 14,000 positions: Fit to Serve aimed to right-size the business through a workforce reduction of about 14,000 positions, primarily within management, to create a more efficient operating model. Source
  • Transformation 2.0 reviewed portfolio: Transformation 2.0 aimed to reduce spans and layers of management, began a review of the business portfolio, and identified technology investments to reduce legacy system reliance. Source

Coming up, as management said on 28 October 2025

  • Further building closures under review: Management said it continues to review volume changes in its integrated air and ground network to identify additional buildings for closure. Source
  • Network initiatives conclude in 2027: Management said the Network Reconfiguration and Efficiency Reimagined initiatives are expected to conclude in 2027. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Average daily U.S. Domestic package volume (thousands), third quarter Source16,150 (3Q 2025); 18,407 (3Q 2024)
Average daily U.S. Domestic package volume (thousands), nine months Source16,707 (2025); 18,116 (2024)
International average daily volume change Source+4.8% (3Q 2025)

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management cited planned volume declines from its largest customer as the reason for the network reconfiguration and the associated facility and workforce changes. Source
  • Operational: Management said program costs may rise if the company decides to close additional buildings. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Full-year share repurchases of around $1.0 billion are stated as completed. Source
  • On track: The second-quarter release stated the full-year savings target was on track. The third-quarter release reports $2.2 billion realized as of September 30.
  • Not stated: The second-quarter release expected about 20,000 operational positions to be reduced in 2025. The third-quarter release reports about 34,000 reduced in the first nine months. Source
  • Not stated: Management expects any remaining Transformation 2.0 and Fit to Serve costs to be incurred during the rest of 2025. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.