美国环球包裹运送公司（UPS）首席执行官迈克尔·埃斯丘日前乐观地宣布，该公司2005年速递业务将增加。
据CNN网站23日报道，近几年来，美国地面速递业务方面人士一直认为“环球包裹运送公司的表现不如联邦快递（FedEx）”。在过去的一年里，UPS倍加努力以改变这一形象。但是，该公司地面速递业务在美国仍处于领先地位。即便如此，该公司2004年第4季度增长率只有1.6%，比2003年同期（2.5%）有所减少。
对此，埃斯丘表示，第4季度公司的表现的确不理想。但他对今年的前景表示乐观，并说公司今年会超过联邦快递。他表示，UPS将并购更多的小型公司，以促进在供应连锁管理、货物速递和其他方面的增长。
上述消息发布后，UPS在纽约股票交易所的股价上涨了42美分，达到每股76.65美元；FedEx的股价也上涨了1美元，达到每股96.64美元。
Despite concerns rivals are gaining ground, United Parcel Service Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Michael Eskew said on Wednesday he was optimistic about the package deliverer's growth prospects in 2005.
Atlanta-based UPS (Research) has been battling in the past year to overcome a perception that it is underperforming FedEx Corp. (Research), its main competitor, in the giant U.S. ground delivery market.
While UPS remains the leader in the U.S. ground delivery market, its volumes in this key area grew a sluggish 1.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2004, down from 2.5 percent growth in the same period in 2003.
"We had a tough December, but we're optimistic about this year," Eskew told reporters on Wednesday after a speech to an Atlanta business group. Eskew, who took over the reins of UPS three years ago amid a downturn in the U.S. economy, said he was confident it could fend off FedEx, which has been boosted by its purchase of retail printing and document management firm Kinkos.
"We like our position," he said. "We have a lot more stores and our stores have done great."
Eskew also said he expected UPS to continue acquiring other smaller companies in an effort to expand in supply chain management, freight forwarding and other key areas of its business.
Shares of UPS rose 42 cents to close at $76.65 on the New York Stock Exchange. FedEx was up $1 to end at $96.64 on the NYSE