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FEDEX CORP - Quarter Report: 2020 November (Form 10-Q)

 

 

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-Q

 

(Mark One)

 

QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED November 30, 2020

OR

 

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM                      TO                     

Commission File Number: 1-15829

 

FEDEX CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Delaware

62-1721435

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

 

 

942 South Shady Grove Road, Memphis, Tennessee

38120

(Address of principal executive offices)

(ZIP Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (901) 818-7500

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

 

 

 

 

Title of each class

 

Trading Symbol

 

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock, par value $0.10 per share

 

FDX

 

New York Stock Exchange

0.700% Notes due 2022

 

FDX 22B

 

New York Stock Exchange

1.000% Notes due 2023

 

FDX 23A

 

New York Stock Exchange

0.450% Notes due 2025

 

FDX 25A

 

New York Stock Exchange

1.625% Notes due 2027

 

FDX 27

 

New York Stock Exchange

1.300% Notes due 2031

 

FDX 31

 

New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes      No    

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes      No    

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer

Accelerated filer             

Non-accelerated filer

Smaller reporting company 

Emerging growth company 

 

 

 

 

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes     No    

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

 

Common Stock

 

Outstanding Shares at December 15, 2020

Common Stock, par value $0.10 per share

 

265,070,592

 

 

 

 

 


 

FEDEX CORPORATION

INDEX

 

 

 

PAGE

 

 

 

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

 

 

 

 

ITEM 1. Financial Statements

 

 

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
November 30, 2020 and May 31, 2020

 

3

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
Three and Six Months Ended November 30, 2020 and 2019

 

5

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
Three and Six Months Ended November 30, 2020 and 2019

 

6

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Six Months Ended November 30, 2020 and 2019

 

7

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Changes In Common Stockholders’ Investment
Three and Six Months Ended November 30, 2020 and 2019

 

8

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

 

9

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

20

ITEM 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition

 

21

ITEM 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

 

46

ITEM 4. Controls and Procedures

 

46

 

 

 

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

 

 

 

 

 

ITEM 1. Legal Proceedings

 

47

ITEM 1A. Risk Factors

 

47

ITEM 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

 

49

ITEM 5. Other Information

 

49

ITEM 6. Exhibits

 

51

Signature

 

52

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.1

 

 

Exhibit 10.2

 

 

Exhibit 10.3

 

 

Exhibit 10.4

 

 

Exhibit 10.5

 

 

Exhibit 10.6

 

 

Exhibit 10.7

 

 

Exhibit 10.8

 

 

Exhibit 10.9

 

 

Exhibit 15.1

 

 

Exhibit 22

 

 

Exhibit 31.1

 

 

Exhibit 31.2

 

 

Exhibit 32.1

 

 

Exhibit 32.2

 

 

Exhibit 101.1 Interactive Data Files

Exhibit 104.1 Cover Page Interactive Data File

 

 

- 2 -


 

FEDEX CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(IN MILLIONS)

 

 

 

November 30,

2020

(Unaudited)

 

 

May 31,

2020

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CURRENT ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

8,339

 

 

$

4,881

 

Receivables, less allowances of $617 and $390

 

 

11,417

 

 

 

10,102

 

Spare parts, supplies and fuel, less allowances of $341 and $335

 

 

587

 

 

 

572

 

Prepaid expenses and other

 

 

922

 

 

 

828

 

Total current assets

 

 

21,265

 

 

 

16,383

 

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, AT COST

 

 

67,514

 

 

 

65,024

 

Less accumulated depreciation and amortization

 

 

32,904

 

 

 

31,416

 

Net property and equipment

 

 

34,610

 

 

 

33,608

 

OTHER LONG-TERM ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net

 

 

14,845

 

 

 

13,917

 

Goodwill

 

 

6,702

 

 

 

6,372

 

Other assets

 

 

3,734

 

 

 

3,257

 

Total other long-term assets

 

 

25,281

 

 

 

23,546

 

 

 

$

81,156

 

 

$

73,537

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

- 3 -


 

FEDEX CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(IN MILLIONS, EXCEPT SHARE DATA)

 

 

 

November 30,

2020

(Unaudited)

 

 

May 31,

2020

 

LIABILITIES AND COMMON STOCKHOLDERS’ INVESTMENT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CURRENT LIABILITIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current portion of long-term debt

 

$

97

 

 

$

51

 

Accrued salaries and employee benefits

 

 

2,159

 

 

 

1,569

 

Accounts payable

 

 

3,733

 

 

 

3,269

 

Operating lease liabilities

 

 

2,123

 

 

 

1,923

 

Accrued expenses

 

 

4,003

 

 

 

3,532

 

Total current liabilities

 

 

12,115

 

 

 

10,344

 

LONG-TERM DEBT, LESS CURRENT PORTION

 

 

23,221

 

 

 

21,952

 

OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred income taxes

 

 

3,471

 

 

 

3,162

 

Pension, postretirement healthcare and other benefit obligations

 

 

5,088

 

 

 

5,019

 

Self-insurance accruals

 

 

2,250

 

 

 

2,104

 

Operating lease liabilities

 

 

13,009

 

 

 

12,195

 

Other liabilities

 

 

963

 

 

 

466

 

Total other long-term liabilities

 

 

24,781

 

 

 

22,946

 

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMMON STOCKHOLDERS’ INVESTMENT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock, $0.10 par value; 800 million shares authorized; 318 million shares

   issued as of November 30, 2020 and May 31, 2020

 

 

32

 

 

 

32

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

 

3,400

 

 

 

3,356

 

Retained earnings

 

 

27,208

 

 

 

25,216

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

 

(898

)

 

 

(1,147

)

Treasury stock, at cost

 

 

(8,703

)

 

 

(9,162

)

Total common stockholders’ investment

 

 

21,039

 

 

 

18,295

 

 

 

$

81,156

 

 

$

73,537

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

- 4 -


 

FEDEX CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(UNAUDITED)

(IN MILLIONS, EXCEPT PER SHARE AMOUNTS)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

November 30,

 

 

Six Months Ended

November 30,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

REVENUE

 

$

20,563

 

 

$

17,324

 

 

$

39,884

 

 

$

34,372

 

OPERATING EXPENSES:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salaries and employee benefits

 

 

7,443

 

 

 

6,235

 

 

 

14,295

 

 

 

12,322

 

Purchased transportation

 

 

5,407

 

 

 

4,328

 

 

 

10,384

 

 

 

8,356

 

Rentals and landing fees

 

 

1,006

 

 

 

924

 

 

 

1,942

 

 

 

1,844

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

936

 

 

 

901

 

 

 

1,862

 

 

 

1,780

 

Fuel

 

 

625

 

 

 

890

 

 

 

1,190

 

 

 

1,760

 

Maintenance and repairs

 

 

815

 

 

 

774

 

 

 

1,621

 

 

 

1,542

 

Asset impairment charges

 

 

 

 

 

66

 

 

 

 

 

 

66

 

Other

 

 

2,866

 

 

 

2,652

 

 

 

5,535

 

 

 

5,171

 

 

 

 

19,098

 

 

 

16,770

 

 

 

36,829

 

 

 

32,841

 

OPERATING INCOME

 

 

1,465

 

 

 

554

 

 

 

3,055

 

 

 

1,531

 

OTHER (EXPENSE) INCOME:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest, net

 

 

(184

)

 

 

(151

)

 

 

(368

)

 

 

(288

)

Other retirement plans income

 

 

150

 

 

 

168

 

 

 

351

 

 

 

336

 

Other, net

 

 

(25

)

 

 

1

 

 

 

(26

)

 

 

(11

)

 

 

 

(59

)

 

 

18

 

 

 

(43

)

 

 

37

 

INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES

 

 

1,406

 

 

 

572

 

 

 

3,012

 

 

 

1,568

 

PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES

 

 

180

 

 

 

12

 

 

 

541

 

 

 

263

 

NET INCOME

 

$

1,226

 

 

$

560

 

 

$

2,471

 

 

$

1,305

 

EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

$

4.64

 

 

$

2.15

 

 

$

9.40

 

 

$

5.00

 

Diluted

 

$

4.55

 

 

$

2.13

 

 

$

9.26

 

 

$

4.97

 

DIVIDENDS DECLARED PER COMMON SHARE

 

$

0.65

 

 

$

0.65

 

 

$

1.95

 

 

$

1.95

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

- 5 -


 

FEDEX CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(UNAUDITED)

(IN MILLIONS)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

November 30,

 

 

November 30,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

NET INCOME

 

$

1,226

 

 

$

560

 

 

$

2,471

 

 

$

1,305

 

OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foreign currency translation adjustments, net of tax expense of $6 and $4 in 2020 and $7 and $4 in 2019

 

 

124

 

 

 

72

 

 

 

253

 

 

 

(11

)

Amortization of prior service credit, net of tax benefit of $0 and $1 in 2020 and $6 and $12 in 2019

 

 

(2

)

 

 

(20

)

 

 

(4

)

 

 

(41

)

 

 

 

122

 

 

 

52

 

 

 

249

 

 

 

(52

)

COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

 

$

1,348

 

 

$

612

 

 

$

2,720

 

 

$

1,253

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

- 6 -


 

FEDEX CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(UNAUDITED)

(IN MILLIONS)

 

 

 

Six Months Ended

November 30,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

Operating Activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

2,471

 

 

$

1,305

 

Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

1,862

 

 

 

1,780

 

Asset impairment charges

 

 

 

 

 

66

 

Provision for uncollectible accounts

 

 

291

 

 

 

208

 

Stock-based compensation

 

 

121

 

 

 

104

 

Retirement plan mark-to-market adjustment

 

 

52

 

 

 

 

Other noncash items and deferred income taxes

 

 

1,482

 

 

 

1,164

 

Changes in assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Receivables

 

 

(1,100

)

 

 

(684

)

Other assets

 

 

(56

)

 

 

(162

)

Accounts payable and other liabilities

 

 

241

 

 

 

(1,691

)

Other, net

 

 

(134

)

 

 

(16

)

Cash provided by operating activities

 

 

5,230

 

 

 

2,074

 

Investing Activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital expenditures

 

 

(2,826

)

 

 

(3,266

)

Proceeds from asset dispositions and other

 

 

14

 

 

 

4

 

Cash used in investing activities

 

 

(2,812

)

 

 

(3,262

)

Financing Activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proceeds from short-term borrowings, net

 

 

 

 

 

150

 

Principal payments on debt

 

 

(75

)

 

 

(1,021

)

Proceeds from debt issuances

 

 

970

 

 

 

2,093

 

Proceeds from stock issuances

 

 

431

 

 

 

26

 

Dividends paid

 

 

(341

)

 

 

(339

)

Purchase of treasury stock

 

 

 

 

 

(3

)

Other, net

 

 

(12

)

 

 

(5

)

Cash provided by financing activities

 

 

973

 

 

 

901

 

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash

 

 

67

 

 

 

(1

)

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

 

 

3,458

 

 

 

(288

)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

 

 

4,881

 

 

 

2,319

 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

 

$

8,339

 

 

$

2,031

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

- 7 -


 

FEDEX CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN COMMON STOCKHOLDERS’ INVESTMENT

(UNAUDITED)

(IN MILLIONS, EXCEPT SHARE DATA)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

November 30,

 

 

November 30,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

Common Stock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginning Balance

 

$

32

 

 

$

32

 

 

$

32

 

 

$

32

 

Ending Balance

 

 

32

 

 

 

32

 

 

 

32

 

 

 

32

 

Additional Paid-in Capital

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginning Balance

 

 

3,375

 

 

 

3,257

 

 

 

3,356

 

 

 

3,231

 

Employee incentive plans and other

 

 

25

 

 

 

30

 

 

 

44

 

 

 

56

 

Ending Balance

 

 

3,400

 

 

 

3,287

 

 

 

3,400

 

 

 

3,287

 

Retained Earnings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginning Balance

 

 

26,108

 

 

 

25,048

 

 

 

25,216

 

 

 

24,648

 

Net Income

 

 

1,226

 

 

 

560

 

 

 

2,471

 

 

 

1,305

 

Cash dividends declared ($0.65, $0.65, $1.95 and $1.95 per share)

 

 

(172

)

 

 

(170

)

 

 

(513

)

 

 

(509

)

Employee incentive plans and other

 

 

46

 

 

 

(7

)

 

 

34

 

 

 

(9

)

Adoption of new accounting standards on June 1, 2019(1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4

)

Ending Balance

 

 

27,208

 

 

 

25,431

 

 

 

27,208

 

 

 

25,431

 

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginning Balance

 

 

(1,020

)

 

 

(918

)

 

 

(1,147

)

 

 

(865

)

Other comprehensive income, net of tax (expense)/benefit of ($6), ($1), ($3) and $8

 

 

122

 

 

 

52

 

 

 

249

 

 

 

(52

)

Reclassification to retained earnings due to the adoption of a new accounting standard on June 1, 2019(2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

51

 

Ending Balance

 

 

(898

)

 

 

(866

)

 

 

(898

)

 

 

(866

)

Treasury Stock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginning Balance

 

 

(9,033

)

 

 

(9,253

)

 

 

(9,162

)

 

 

(9,289

)

Purchase of treasury stock (0.02 million shares)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3

)

Employee incentive plans and other (2.4, 0.2, 3.4 and 0.5 million shares)

 

 

330

 

 

 

28

 

 

 

459

 

 

 

67

 

Ending Balance

 

 

(8,703

)

 

 

(9,225

)

 

 

(8,703

)

 

 

(9,225

)

Total Common Stockholders’ Investment Balance

 

$

21,039

 

 

$

18,659

 

 

$

21,039

 

 

$

18,659

 

 

(1)

Relates to the adoption of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-02 and ASU 2018-02.

 

(2)

Relates to the adoption of ASU 2018-02.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

 

- 8 -


 

FEDEX CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(UNAUDITED)

(1) General

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES. These interim financial statements of FedEx Corporation (“FedEx”) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) instructions for interim financial information, and should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 31, 2020 (“Annual Report”). Significant accounting policies and other disclosures normally provided have been omitted since such items are disclosed in our Annual Report.

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments (including normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly our financial position as of November 30, 2020, and the results of our operations for the three- and six-month periods ended November 30, 2020 and 2019, cash flows for the six-month periods ended November 30, 2020 and 2019, and changes in common stockholders’ investment for the three- and six-month periods ended November 30, 2020 and 2019. Operating results for the three- and six-month periods ended November 30, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending May 31, 2021.

Except as otherwise specified, references to years indicate our fiscal year ending May 31, 2021 or ended May 31 of the year referenced and comparisons are to the corresponding period of the prior year.

REVENUE RECOGNITION

Contract Assets and Liabilities

Contract assets include billed and unbilled amounts resulting from in-transit shipments, as we have an unconditional right to payment only once all performance obligations have been completed (e.g., packages have been delivered). Contract assets are generally classified as current and the full balance is converted each quarter based on the short-term nature of the transactions. Our contract liabilities consist of advance payments and billings in excess of revenue. The full balance of deferred revenue is converted each quarter based on the short-term nature of the transactions.

Gross contract assets related to in-transit shipments totaled $701 million and $563 million at November 30, 2020 and May 31, 2020, respectively. Contract assets net of deferred unearned revenue were $499 million and $456 million at November 30, 2020 and May 31, 2020, respectively. Contract assets are included within current assets in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets. Contract liabilities related to advance payments from customers were $9 million and $10 million at November 30, 2020 and May 31, 2020, respectively. Contract liabilities are included within current liabilities in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets.

- 9 -


 

Disaggregation of Revenue

The following table provides revenue by service type (in millions) for the periods ended November 30. This presentation is consistent with how we organize our segments internally for making operating decisions and measuring performance.

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

REVENUE BY SERVICE TYPE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FedEx Express segment:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Package:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. overnight box

 

$

2,012

 

 

$

1,864

 

 

$

3,873

 

 

$

3,730

 

U.S. overnight envelope

 

 

435

 

 

 

457

 

 

 

861

 

 

 

936

 

U.S. deferred

 

 

1,204

 

 

 

980

 

 

 

2,300

 

 

 

1,936

 

Total U.S. domestic package revenue

 

 

3,651

 

 

 

3,301

 

 

 

7,034

 

 

 

6,602

 

International priority

 

 

2,510

 

 

 

1,817

 

 

 

4,827

 

 

 

3,634

 

International economy

 

 

658

 

 

 

873

 

 

 

1,274

 

 

 

1,728

 

Total international export package revenue

 

 

3,168

 

 

 

2,690

 

 

 

6,101

 

 

 

5,362

 

International domestic(1)

 

 

1,206

 

 

 

1,165

 

 

 

2,294

 

 

 

2,241

 

Total package revenue

 

 

8,025

 

 

 

7,156

 

 

 

15,429

 

 

 

14,205

 

Freight:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S.

 

 

799

 

 

 

698

 

 

 

1,632

 

 

 

1,393

 

International priority

 

 

737

 

 

 

473

 

 

 

1,390

 

 

 

937

 

International economy

 

 

408

 

 

 

541

 

 

 

779

 

 

 

1,057

 

International airfreight

 

 

65

 

 

 

70

 

 

 

140

 

 

 

136

 

Total freight revenue

 

 

2,009

 

 

 

1,782

 

 

 

3,941

 

 

 

3,523

 

Other(2)

 

 

334

 

 

 

146

 

 

 

645

 

 

 

301

 

Total FedEx Express segment

 

 

10,368

 

 

 

9,084

 

 

 

20,015

 

 

 

18,029

 

FedEx Ground segment

 

 

7,344

 

 

 

5,315

 

 

 

14,384

 

 

 

10,494

 

FedEx Freight segment

 

 

1,936

 

 

 

1,844

 

 

 

3,762

 

 

 

3,749

 

FedEx Services segment

 

 

8

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

16

 

 

 

9

 

Other and eliminations(3)

 

 

907

 

 

 

1,076

 

 

 

1,707

 

 

 

2,091

 

 

 

$

20,563

 

 

$

17,324

 

 

$

39,884

 

 

$

34,372

 

 

(1)

International domestic revenue relates to our international intra-country operations.

 

(2)

Includes the operations of FedEx Custom Critical, Inc. (“FedEx Custom Critical”) and FedEx Cross Border Holdings, Inc. (“FedEx Cross Border”) for the periods ended November 30, 2020. Effective March 1, 2020 and June 1, 2020, respectively, the results of FedEx Custom Critical and FedEx Cross Border are included in the Federal Express Corporation (“FedEx Express”) segment prospectively.

 

(3)

Includes the FedEx Logistics, Inc. (“FedEx Logistics”) and FedEx Office and Print Services, Inc. (“FedEx Office”) operating segments.

IMPAIRMENT OF LONG-LIVED ASSETS. Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment when circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. For assets that are to be held and used, an impairment is recognized when the estimated undiscounted cash flows associated with the asset or group of assets are less than their carrying value. If impairment exists, an adjustment is made to write the asset down to its fair value, and a loss is recorded as the difference between the carrying value and fair value. Fair values are determined based on quoted market values, discounted cash flows or internal and external appraisals, as applicable. Assets to be disposed of are carried at the lower of carrying value or estimated net realizable value.

During the second quarter of 2020, we made the decision to permanently retire from service 10 Airbus A310-300 aircraft and 12 related engines at FedEx Express to align with the needs of the U.S. domestic network and modernize its aircraft fleet. As a consequence of this decision, noncash impairment charges of $66 million ($50 million, net of tax, or $0.19 per diluted share) were recorded in the FedEx Express segment in the second quarter of 2020.

EMPLOYEES UNDER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ARRANGEMENTS. The pilots of FedEx Express, who are a small number of its total employees, are employed under a collective bargaining agreement that took effect on November 2, 2015. The collective bargaining agreement is scheduled to become amendable in November 2021. Other than the pilots at FedEx Express, a small number of our employees are members of unions.

- 10 -


 

BUSINESS ACQUISITION. On December 2, 2020, we agreed to acquire ShopRunner, Inc. (“ShopRunner”), an e-commerce platform that directly connects brands and merchants with online shoppers. The cost of the acquisition will not be material and will be funded with cash from operations. This acquisition is expected to be completed in December 2020, subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approval. The financial results of ShopRunner will be included in “Corporate, other and eliminations” from the date of acquisition and are not expected to be material to our results of operations in 2021.

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION. We have two types of equity-based compensation: stock options and restricted stock. The key terms of the stock option and restricted stock awards granted under our outstanding incentive stock plans and all financial disclosures about these programs are set forth in our Annual Report.

Our stock-based compensation expense was $46 million for the three-month period ended November 30, 2020 and $121 million for the six-month period ended November 30, 2020. Our stock-based compensation expense was $37 million for the three-month period ended November 30, 2019 and $104 million for the six-month period ended November 30, 2019. Due to its immateriality, additional disclosures related to stock-based compensation have been excluded from this quarterly report.

DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS. Our risk management strategy includes the select use of derivative instruments to reduce the effects of volatility in foreign currency exchange exposure on operating results and cash flows. In accordance with our risk management policies, we do not hold or issue derivative instruments for trading or speculative purposes. All derivative instruments are recognized in the financial statements at fair value, regardless of the purpose or intent for holding them.

When we become a party to a derivative instrument and intend to apply hedge accounting, we formally document the hedge relationship and the risk management objective for undertaking the hedge, which includes designating the instrument for financial reporting purposes as a fair value hedge, a cash flow hedge or a net investment hedge.

If a derivative is designated as a cash flow hedge, the entire change in the fair value of the hedging instrument included in the assessment of hedge effectiveness is recorded in other comprehensive income. For net investment hedges, the entire change in the fair value is recorded in other comprehensive income. Any portion of a change in the fair value of a derivative that is considered to be ineffective, along with the change in fair value of any derivatives not designated in a hedging relationship, is immediately recognized in the income statement. We do not have any derivatives designated as a cash flow hedge for any period presented. We have €640 million of debt designated as a net investment hedge to reduce the volatility of the U.S. dollar value of a portion of our net investment in a euro-denominated subsidiary. As of November 30, 2020, the hedge remains effective.

RECENT ACCOUNTING GUIDANCE. New accounting rules and disclosure requirements can significantly impact our reported results and the comparability of our financial statements. We believe the following new accounting guidance is relevant to the readers of our financial statements.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2016-13 that amends the impairment model for most financial assets and certain other instruments that are not measured at fair value through net income, including trade receivables, to utilize an expected loss methodology in place of the incurred loss methodology. We adopted this standard effective June 1, 2020. We updated our process for estimating the expected credit loss to include a review of forecast information that may impact expected collectability over the lifetime of the asset. See Note 2 for additional information. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15 that reduces the complexity of accounting for costs of implementing a cloud computing service arrangement and aligns the accounting for capitalizing implementation costs of hosting arrangements, regardless of whether they convey a license to the hosted software. We adopted this standard effective June 1, 2020 and applied these changes prospectively. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, which is intended to simplify various aspects related to accounting for income taxes. ASU 2019-12 removes certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740 and also clarifies and amends existing guidance to improve consistent application. We early adopted this standard effective June 1, 2020. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

- 11 -


 

TREASURY SHARES. In January 2016, our Board of Directors approved a stock repurchase program of up to 25 million shares. We did not repurchase any shares of FedEx common stock during the first half of 2021. As of November 30, 2020, 5.1 million shares remained under the stock repurchase authorization. Shares under the current repurchase program may be repurchased from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. The timing and volume of repurchases are at the discretion of management, based on the capital needs of the business, the market price of FedEx common stock and general market conditions. No time limit was set for the completion of the program, and the program may be suspended or discontinued at any time.

During 2020, we amended our amended and restated $2.0 billion five-year credit agreement (the “Five-Year Credit Agreement”) and our $1.5 billion 364-day credit agreement (the “364-Day Credit Agreement” and together with the Five-Year Credit Agreement, the “Credit Agreements”). The amendments to the Credit Agreements, among other things, temporarily restrict us from repurchasing any shares of our common stock between May 27, 2020 and May 31, 2021.

See Note 4 for more information on the amendments to the Credit Agreements.

DIVIDENDS DECLARED PER COMMON SHARE. On November 20, 2020, our Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.65 per share of common stock. The dividend will be paid on December 28, 2020 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on December 14, 2020. Each quarterly dividend payment is subject to review and approval by our Board of Directors, and we evaluate our dividend payment amount on an annual basis. The amendments to the Credit Agreements discussed above under “Treasury Shares” temporarily restrict us from increasing the amount of our quarterly dividend payable per share of common stock from $0.65 per share between May 27, 2020 and May 31, 2021. There are no other material restrictions on our ability to declare dividends, nor are there any material restrictions on the ability of our subsidiaries to transfer funds to us in the form of cash dividends, loans or advances.

(2) Credit Losses

We are exposed to credit losses primarily through our trade receivables. We assess ability to pay for certain customers by conducting a credit review, which considers the customer’s established credit rating and our assessment of creditworthiness. We determine the allowance for credit losses on accounts receivable using a combination of specific reserves for accounts that are deemed to exhibit credit loss indicators and general reserves that are determined using loss rates based on historical write-offs by geography and recent forecast information, including underlying economic expectations. We update our estimate of credit loss reserves quarterly, considering recent write-offs, collections information and underlying economic expectations.

Credit losses were $148 million for the three-month period ended November 30, 2020 and $291 million for the six-month period ended November 30, 2020. Credit losses were $102 million for the three-month period ended November 30, 2019 and $208 million for the six-month period ended November 30, 2019. Our allowance for credit losses was $296 million as of November 30, 2020 and $175 million at May 31, 2020.

(3) Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

The following table provides changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”), net of tax, reported in our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the periods ended November 30 (in millions; amounts in parentheses indicate debits to AOCI):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

Foreign currency translation loss:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance at beginning of period

 

$

(1,078

)

 

$

(1,036

)

 

$

(1,207

)

 

$

(954

)

Translation adjustments

 

 

124

 

 

 

72

 

 

 

253

 

 

 

(11

)

Reclassification to retained earnings due to the adoption of ASU 2018-02

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

Balance at end of period

 

 

(954

)

 

 

(964

)

 

 

(954

)

 

 

(964

)

Retirement plans adjustments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance at beginning of period

 

 

58

 

 

 

118

 

 

 

60

 

 

 

89

 

Reclassifications from AOCI

 

 

(2

)

 

 

(20

)

 

 

(4

)

 

 

(41

)

Reclassification to retained earnings due to the adoption of ASU 2018-02

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

50

 

Balance at end of period

 

 

56

 

 

 

98

 

 

 

56

 

 

 

98

 

Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) at end of period

 

$

(898

)

 

$

(866

)

 

$

(898

)

 

$

(866

)

- 12 -


 

The following table presents details of the reclassifications from AOCI for the periods ended November 30 (in millions; amounts in parentheses indicate debits to earnings):

 

 

 

Amount Reclassified from

AOCI

 

 

Affected Line Item in the

Income Statement

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

Amortization of retirement plans

   prior service credits, before tax

 

$

2

 

 

$

26

 

 

$

5

 

 

$

53

 

 

Other retirement plans income

Income tax benefit

 

 

 

 

 

(6

)

 

 

(1

)

 

 

(12

)

 

Provision for income taxes

AOCI reclassifications, net of tax

 

$

2

 

 

$

20

 

 

$

4

 

 

$

41

 

 

Net income

 

(4) Financing Arrangements

We have a shelf registration statement filed with the SEC that allows us to sell, in one or more future offerings, any combination of our unsecured debt securities and common stock and allows pass through trusts formed by FedEx Express to sell, in one or more future offerings, pass through certificates.

During August 2020, FedEx Express issued $970 million of Pass Through Certificates, Series 2020-1AA (the “Certificates”) with a fixed interest rate of 1.875% due in February 2034 utilizing pass through trusts (the “Trusts”). The Certificates are secured by 19 Boeing aircraft with a net book value of $1.9 billion at November 30, 2020. The payment obligations of FedEx Express in respect of the Certificates are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by FedEx. FedEx Express is using the proceeds from the issuance for general corporate purposes.

Each Trust meets the definition of a variable interest entity, or VIE, as defined in the Consolidations topic of the Codification (ASC 810), and must be considered for consolidation in our financial statements. Our assessment of the Trusts considers both quantitative and qualitative factors, including the purpose for which the Trust was established and the nature of the risks related to the Trusts. Neither FedEx nor FedEx Express invests in or possesses a financial interest in the Trusts. Rather, FedEx Express has an obligation to make interest and principal payments, which are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by FedEx, and is not the primary beneficiary of the Trusts. Based on this analysis, we determined that we are not required to consolidate the Trusts.

We have a $2.0 billion Five-Year Credit Agreement and a $1.5 billion 364-Day Credit Agreement. The Five-Year Credit Agreement expires in March 2025 and includes a $250 million letter of credit sublimit. The 364-Day Credit Agreement expires in March 2021. The Credit Agreements are available to finance our operations and other cash flow needs. The Credit Agreements contain a financial covenant requiring us to maintain a ratio of debt to consolidated earnings (excluding noncash retirement plans mark-to-market adjustments, noncash pension service costs and noncash asset impairment charges) before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“adjusted EBITDA”) of not more than 4.9 to 1.0, calculated as of November 30, 2020 on a rolling four-quarters basis. The ratio of our debt to adjusted EBITDA was 2.6 to 1.0 at November 30, 2020. The Credit Agreements also contain the temporary covenants discussed in Note 1. We believe these covenants are the only significant restrictive covenants in the Credit Agreements. The Credit Agreements contain other customary covenants that do not, individually or in the aggregate, materially restrict the conduct of our business. We are in compliance with the financial covenant and all other covenants in the Credit Agreements and do not expect the covenants to affect our operations, including our liquidity or expected funding needs. If we failed to comply with the financial covenant or any other covenants in the Credit Agreements, our access to financing could become limited.

Information regarding changes to the ratio of debt to adjusted EBITDA required to be maintained under the Credit Agreements through the fourth quarter of 2021 is provided in our Annual Report.

Outstanding commercial paper reduces the amount available to borrow under the Credit Agreements. As of November 30, 2020, no commercial paper was outstanding and $0.3 million in letters of credit were outstanding, leaving $3.5 billion available under the Credit Agreements for future borrowings.

Long-term debt, including current maturities and exclusive of finance leases, had carrying values of $22.8 billion at November 30, 2020 and $21.5 billion at May 31, 2020, compared with estimated fair values of $27.2 billion at November 30, 2020 and $22.8 billion at May 31, 2020. The annualized weighted-average interest rate on long-term debt was 3.5% at November 30, 2020. The estimated fair values were determined based on quoted market prices and the current rates offered for debt with similar terms and maturities. The fair value of our long-term debt is classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy. This classification is defined as a fair value determined using market-based inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the liability, either directly or indirectly.

- 13 -


 

(5) Computation of Earnings Per Share

The calculation of basic and diluted earnings per common share for the periods ended November 30 was as follows (in millions, except per share amounts):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

Basic earnings per common share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net earnings allocable to common shares(1)

 

$

1,224

 

 

$

559

 

 

$

2,466

 

 

$

1,303

 

Weighted-average common shares

 

 

264

 

 

 

261

 

 

 

263

 

 

 

261

 

Basic earnings per common share

 

$

4.64

 

 

$

2.15

 

 

$

9.40

 

 

$

5.00

 

Diluted earnings per common share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net earnings allocable to common shares(1)

 

$

1,224

 

 

$

559

 

 

$

2,466

 

 

$

1,303

 

Weighted-average common shares

 

 

264

 

 

 

261

 

 

 

263

 

 

 

261

 

Dilutive effect of share-based awards

 

 

5

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

3

 

 

 

1

 

Weighted-average diluted shares

 

 

269

 

 

 

262

 

 

 

266

 

 

 

262

 

Diluted earnings per common share

 

$

4.55

 

 

$

2.13

 

 

$

9.26

 

 

$

4.97

 

Anti-dilutive options excluded from diluted earnings per

   common share

 

 

1.3

 

 

 

11.2

 

 

 

5.1

 

 

 

11.0

 

 

 

(1)

Net earnings available to participating securities were immaterial in all periods presented.

(6) Income Taxes

Our effective tax rate was 12.8% for the second quarter and 18.0% for the first half of 2021, compared to 2.1% for the second quarter and 16.8% for the first half of 2020. The 2021 tax rates include a benefit of $191 million from an increase in our 2020 tax loss that the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act will allow to be carried back to 2015, when the U.S. federal income tax rate was 35%. The increase in our estimated 2020 tax loss is attributable to our Application for Change in Accounting Method filed with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) during the fourth quarter of 2020 discussed below and other accelerated deductions to be claimed on the 2020 tax return. The 2020 tax rates included a $133 million benefit from a valuation allowance reduction which, when combined with substantially lower consolidated earnings, produced a significantly lower rate for the second quarter of 2020 compared to the second quarter of 2021.

We filed an application with the IRS in 2020 requesting approval to change our accounting method for depreciation to allow retroactive application of tax regulations issued during 2020 on certain assets placed in service during 2018 and 2019. During the second quarter of 2021, the IRS issued guidance granting automatic approval to change the method of accounting for these assets resulting in an income tax benefit of $130 million for the second quarter.

During the second quarter of 2021, we filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee challenging the validity of a tax regulation related to the one-time transition tax on unrepatriated foreign earnings, which was enacted as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”). Our lawsuit seeks to have the court declare this regulation invalid and order the refund of overpayments of U.S. federal income taxes for 2018 and 2019 attributable to the denial of foreign tax credits under the regulation. We have recorded a cumulative benefit of $233 million through 2019 attributable to our interpretation of the TCJA and the Internal Revenue Code. If we are ultimately unsuccessful in defending our position, we may be required to reverse the benefit previously recorded.

- 14 -


 

(7) Retirement Plans

We sponsor programs that provide retirement benefits to most of our employees. These programs include defined benefit pension plans, defined contribution plans and postretirement healthcare plans. Key terms of our retirement plans are provided in our Annual Report.

Our retirement plans costs for the periods ended November 30 were as follows (in millions):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

Defined benefit pension plans, net

 

$

27

 

 

$

37

 

 

$

52

 

 

$

74

 

Defined contribution plans

 

 

153

 

 

 

136

 

 

 

311

 

 

 

278

 

Postretirement healthcare plans

 

 

20

 

 

 

21

 

 

 

41

 

 

 

43

 

Retirement plan mark-to-market (“MTM”) net loss

 

 

52

 

 

 

 

 

 

52

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

252

 

 

$

194

 

 

$

456

 

 

$

395

 

 

Net periodic benefit cost of the pension and postretirement healthcare plans for the periods ended November 30 included the following components (in millions):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

 

U.S. Pension Plans

 

 

International Pension Plans

 

 

Postretirement Healthcare Plans

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

Service cost

 

$

212

 

 

$

192

 

 

$

26

 

 

$

24

 

 

$

11

 

 

$

10

 

Other retirement plans (income) expense:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Interest cost

 

 

239

 

 

 

250

 

 

 

11

 

 

 

11

 

 

 

9

 

 

 

11

 

    Expected return on plan assets

 

 

(446

)

 

 

(401

)

 

 

(13

)

 

 

(13

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Amortization of prior service credit and other

 

 

(2

)

 

 

(25

)

 

 

 

 

 

(1

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

   MTM net loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

52

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(209

)

 

 

(176

)

 

 

50

 

 

 

(3

)

 

 

9

 

 

 

11

 

 

 

$

3

 

 

$

16

 

 

$

76

 

 

$

21

 

 

$

20

 

 

$

21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

U.S. Pension Plans

 

 

International Pension Plans

 

 

Postretirement Healthcare Plans

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

Service cost

 

$

425

 

 

$

384

 

 

$

49

 

 

$

48

 

 

$

22

 

 

$

21

 

Other retirement plans (income) expense:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Interest cost

 

 

479

 

 

 

500

 

 

 

21

 

 

 

22

 

 

 

19

 

 

 

22

 

    Expected return on plan assets

 

 

(892

)

 

 

(801

)

 

 

(25

)

 

 

(26

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Amortization of prior service credit and other

 

 

(4

)

 

 

(52

)

 

 

(1

)

 

 

(1

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

   MTM net loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

52

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(417

)

 

 

(353

)

 

 

47

 

 

 

(5

)

 

 

19

 

 

 

22

 

 

 

$

8

 

 

$

31

 

 

$

96

 

 

$

43

 

 

$

41

 

 

$

43

 

For 2021, no pension contributions are required for our tax-qualified U.S. domestic pension plans (“U.S. Pension Plans”) as they are fully funded under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. We made voluntary contributions to our U.S. Pension Plans of $1.0 billion during the first half of 2020.

We incurred a pre-tax, noncash MTM net loss of $52 million in the second quarter of 2021 related to amendments to the TNT Express Netherlands Pension Plan. Benefits for approximately 2,100 employees will be frozen effective December 31, 2020. Effective January 1, 2021, these employees will begin earning pension benefits under a separate, multi-employer pension plan. This $52 million net loss consists of a $106 million MTM loss due to a lower discount rate and a $54 million curtailment gain.

- 15 -


 

In 2020, we announced the closing of our U.S.-based defined benefit pension plans to new non-union employees hired on or after January 1, 2020. We will introduce an all-401(k)-plan retirement benefit structure for eligible employees with a higher company match of up to 8% across all U.S.-based operating companies in 2022. During calendar 2021, current eligible employees under the Portable Pension Account (“PPA”) pension formula will be given a one-time option to continue to be eligible for pension compensation credits under the existing PPA formula and remain in the existing 401(k) plan with its match of up to 3.5%, or to cease receiving compensation credits under the pension plan and move to the new 401(k) plan with the higher match of up to 8%. Changes to the new 401(k) plan structure become effective beginning January 1, 2022. While this new program will provide employees greater flexibility and reduce our long-term pension costs, it will not have a material impact on current or near-term financial results.

(8) Business Segment Information

We provide a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services through companies competing collectively, operating collaboratively and innovating digitally, under the respected FedEx brand. Our primary operating companies are FedEx Express, the world’s largest express transportation company; FedEx Ground Package System, Inc. (“FedEx Ground”), a leading North American provider of small-package ground delivery services; and FedEx Freight Corporation (“FedEx Freight”), a leading North American provider of less-than-truckload (“LTL”) freight transportation services. These companies represent our major service lines and, along with FedEx Corporate Services, Inc. (“FedEx Services”), constitute our reportable segments.

Our reportable segments include the following businesses:

 

FedEx Express Segment

FedEx Express (express transportation, small-package ground delivery and freight transportation)

 

FedEx Custom Critical (time-critical transportation)

FedEx Cross Border (cross-border e-commerce technology and e-commerce transportation solutions)

 

FedEx Ground Segment

FedEx Ground (small-package ground delivery)

 

 

FedEx Freight Segment

FedEx Freight (LTL freight transportation)

 

 

FedEx Services Segment

FedEx Services (sales, marketing, information technology, communications, customer

   service, technical support, billing and collection services and back-office functions)

 

 

References to our transportation segments include, collectively, the FedEx Express segment, the FedEx Ground segment and the FedEx Freight segment.

FedEx Services Segment

The FedEx Services segment operates combined sales, marketing, administrative and information-technology functions in shared services operations for U.S. customers of our major business units and certain back-office support to our operating segments which allows us to obtain synergies from the combination of these functions. For the international regions of FedEx Express, some of these functions are performed on a regional basis and reported by FedEx Express in their natural expense line items.

The FedEx Services segment provides direct and indirect support to our operating segments, and we allocate all of the net operating costs of the FedEx Services segment to reflect the full cost of operating our businesses in the results of those segments. We review and evaluate the performance of our transportation segments based on operating income (inclusive of FedEx Services segment allocations). For the FedEx Services segment, performance is evaluated based on the impact of its total allocated net operating costs on our operating segments.

Operating expenses for each of our transportation segments include the allocations from the FedEx Services segment to the respective transportation segments. These allocations also include charges and credits for administrative services provided between operating companies. The allocations of net operating costs are based on metrics such as relative revenue or estimated services provided. We believe these allocations approximate the net cost of providing these functions. Our allocation methodologies are refined periodically, as necessary, to reflect changes in our businesses.

- 16 -


 

Corporate, Other and Eliminations

Corporate and other includes corporate headquarters costs for executive officers and certain legal and finance functions, as well as certain other costs and credits not attributed to our core business. These costs are not allocated to the other business segments.

Also included in corporate and other is the FedEx Office operating segment, which provides an array of document and business services and retail access to our customers for our package transportation businesses, and the FedEx Logistics operating segment, which provides integrated supply chain management solutions, specialty transportation, customs brokerage and global ocean and air freight forwarding.

Certain FedEx operating companies provide transportation and related services for other FedEx companies outside their reportable segment. Billings for such services are based on negotiated rates, which we believe approximate fair value, and are reflected as revenue of the billing segment. These rates are adjusted from time to time based on market conditions. Such intersegment revenue and expenses are eliminated in our consolidated results and are not separately identified in the following segment information because the amounts are not material.

The following table provides a reconciliation of reportable segment revenue and operating income (loss) to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statement totals for the periods ended November 30 (in millions):

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

Revenue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FedEx Express segment

 

$

10,368

 

 

$

9,084

 

 

$

20,015

 

 

$

18,029

 

FedEx Ground segment

 

 

7,344

 

 

 

5,315

 

 

 

14,384

 

 

 

10,494

 

FedEx Freight segment

 

 

1,936

 

 

 

1,844

 

 

 

3,762

 

 

 

3,749

 

FedEx Services segment

 

 

8

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

16

 

 

 

9

 

Other and eliminations

 

 

907

 

 

 

1,076

 

 

 

1,707

 

 

 

2,091

 

 

 

$

20,563

 

 

$

17,324

 

 

$

39,884

 

 

$

34,372

 

Operating income (loss):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FedEx Express segment

 

$

900

 

 

$

236

 

 

$

1,610

 

 

$

521

 

FedEx Ground segment

 

 

552

 

 

 

342

 

 

 

1,386

 

 

 

986

 

FedEx Freight segment

 

 

252

 

 

 

141

 

 

 

526

 

 

 

335

 

Corporate, other and eliminations

 

 

(239

)

 

 

(165

)

 

 

(467

)

 

 

(311

)

 

 

$

1,465

 

 

$

554

 

 

$

3,055

 

 

$

1,531

 

 

(9) Commitments

As of November 30, 2020, our purchase commitments under various contracts for the remainder of 2021 and annually thereafter were as follows (in millions):

 

 

 

Aircraft and Related

 

 

Other(1)

 

 

Total

 

2021 (remainder)

 

$

771

 

 

$

550

 

 

$

1,321

 

2022

 

 

2,203

 

 

 

678

 

 

 

2,881

 

2023

 

 

2,389

 

 

 

461

 

 

 

2,850

 

2024

 

 

1,000

 

 

 

302

 

 

 

1,302

 

2025

 

 

602

 

 

 

226

 

 

 

828

 

Thereafter

 

 

2,679

 

 

 

397

 

 

 

3,076

 

Total

 

$

9,644

 

 

$

2,614

 

 

$

12,258

 

 

 

(1)

Primarily equipment and advertising contracts.

The amounts reflected in the table above for purchase commitments represent noncancelable agreements to purchase goods or services. As of November 30, 2020, our obligation to purchase six Boeing 777 Freighter (“B777F”) aircraft is conditioned upon there being no event that causes FedEx Express or its employees not to be covered by the Railway Labor Act of 1926, as amended. Open purchase orders that are cancelable are not considered unconditional purchase obligations for financial reporting purposes and are not included in the table above.

- 17 -


 

During the first quarter of 2021, FedEx Express executed a contract amendment rescheduling Boeing 767-300 Freighter (“B767F”) aircraft deliveries as follows: 2021 – 18 aircraft; 2022 – 11 aircraft; 2023 – 13 aircraft; and 2024 – 4 aircraft.

As of November 30, 2020, we had $830 million in deposits and progress payments on aircraft purchases and other planned aircraft-related transactions. These deposits are classified in the “Other assets” caption of our accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets. Aircraft and related contracts are subject to price escalations. The following table is a summary of the key aircraft we are committed to purchase as of November 30, 2020 with the year of expected delivery:

 

 

 

Cessna SkyCourier 408

 

 

ATR 72-600F

 

 

B767F

 

 

B777F

 

 

Total

 

2021 (remainder)

 

 

 

 

 

3

 

 

 

11

 

 

 

 

 

 

14

 

2022

 

 

9

 

 

 

8

 

 

 

11

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

33

 

2023

 

 

12

 

 

 

6

 

 

 

13

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

33

 

2024

 

 

12

 

 

 

6

 

 

 

4

 

 

 

4

 

 

 

26

 

2025

 

 

12

 

 

 

6

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

20

 

Thereafter

 

 

5

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

 

Total

 

 

50

 

 

 

30

 

 

 

39

 

 

 

13

 

 

 

132

 

 

A summary of future minimum lease payments under noncancelable operating and finance leases with an initial or remaining term in excess of one year at November 30, 2020 is as follows (in millions):

 

 

 

Aircraft

and Related

Equipment

 

 

Facilities

and Other

 

 

Total

Operating

Leases

 

 

Finance Leases

 

 

Total Leases

 

2021 (remainder)

 

$

177

 

 

$

1,111

 

 

$

1,288

 

 

$

17

 

 

$

1,305

 

2022

 

 

234

 

 

 

2,275

 

 

 

2,509

 

 

 

60

 

 

 

2,569

 

2023

 

 

198

 

 

 

2,014

 

 

 

2,212

 

 

 

25

 

 

 

2,237

 

2024

 

 

102

 

 

 

1,758

 

 

 

1,860

 

 

 

24

 

 

 

1,884

 

2025

 

 

69

 

 

 

1,539

 

 

 

1,608

 

 

 

24

 

 

 

1,632

 

Thereafter

 

 

245

 

 

 

7,785

 

 

 

8,030

 

 

 

707

 

 

 

8,737

 

Total lease payments

 

 

1,025

 

 

 

16,482

 

 

 

17,507

 

 

 

857

 

 

 

18,364

 

Less imputed interest

 

 

(77

)

 

 

(2,298

)

 

 

(2,375

)

 

 

(377

)

 

 

(2,752

)

Present value of lease liability

 

$

948

 

 

$

14,184

 

 

$

15,132

 

 

$

480

 

 

$

15,612

 

While certain of our lease agreements contain covenants governing the use of the leased assets or require us to maintain certain levels of insurance, none of our lease agreements include material financial covenants or limitations.

As of November 30, 2020, FedEx has entered into additional leases which have not yet commenced and are therefore not part of the right-of-use asset and liability. These leases are generally for build-to-suit facilities and have undiscounted future payments of approximately $1.6 billion, and will commence when FedEx gains beneficial access to the leased asset. Commencement dates are expected to be from 2021 to 2022.

 

(10) Contingencies

 

Service Provider Lawsuits. FedEx Ground is defending lawsuits in which it is alleged that FedEx Ground should be treated as a joint employer of drivers employed by service providers engaged by FedEx Ground. These cases are in varying stages of litigation, and we are not currently able to estimate an amount or range of potential loss in all of these matters. However, we do not expect to incur, individually or in the aggregate, a material loss in these matters. Nevertheless, adverse determinations in these matters could, among other things, entitle service providers’ drivers to certain wage payments from the service providers and FedEx Ground, and result in employment and withholding tax and benefit liability for FedEx Ground. We continue to believe that FedEx Ground is not an employer or joint employer of the drivers of these independent businesses.

Federal Securities Litigation. On June 26, 2019 and July 2, 2019, FedEx and certain present and former officers were named as defendants in two putative class action securities lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The complaints, which have been consolidated, allege violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder relating to alleged misstatements or omissions in FedEx’s public filings with the SEC and other public statements during the period from September 19, 2017 to December 18, 2018. We are not currently able to estimate the probability of loss or the amount or range of potential loss, if any, at this stage of the litigation.

- 18 -


 

Derivative Lawsuit Related to New York Cigarette Litigation. On October 3, 2019, FedEx and certain present and former FedEx directors and officers were named as defendants in a stockholder derivative lawsuit filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery. The complaint alleges the defendants breached their fiduciary duties in connection with the activities alleged in lawsuits filed by the City of New York and the State of New York against FedEx Ground in December 2013 and November 2014 and against FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight in July 2017. The underlying lawsuits related to the alleged shipment of cigarettes to New York residents in contravention of several statutes, as well as common law nuisance claims, and were dismissed by the court in December 2018 following entry into a final settlement agreement for approximately $35 million. The settlement did not include any admission of liability by FedEx Ground or FedEx Freight. In addition to the settlement amount, we recognized approximately $10 million for certain attorney’s fees in connection with the underlying lawsuits. We are not currently able to estimate the probability of loss or the amount or range of potential loss, if any, at this stage of the lawsuit.

Other Matters. FedEx and its subsidiaries are subject to other legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of business, including certain lawsuits containing various class-action allegations of wage-and-hour violations in which plaintiffs claim, among other things, that they were forced to work “off the clock,” were not paid overtime or were not provided work breaks or other benefits, as well as lawsuits containing allegations that FedEx and its subsidiaries are responsible for third-party losses related to vehicle accidents that could exceed our insurance coverage for such losses. In the opinion of management, the aggregate liability, if any, with respect to these other actions will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Environmental Matters. SEC regulations require us to disclose certain information about proceedings arising under federal, state, or local environmental provisions if we reasonably believe that such proceedings may result in monetary sanctions above a stated threshold. Pursuant to the SEC regulations, FedEx uses a threshold of $1 million or more for purposes of determining whether disclosure of any such proceedings is required. Applying this threshold, there are no environmental matters required to be disclosed for this period.

(11) Supplemental Cash Flow Information

Cash paid for interest expense and income taxes for the six-month periods ended November 30 was as follows (in millions):

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

Cash payments for:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest (net of capitalized interest)

 

$

377

 

 

$

279

 

Income taxes

 

$

526

 

 

$

162

 

Income tax refunds received

 

 

(22

)

 

 

(23

)

Cash tax payments, net

 

$

504

 

 

$

139

 

 

 

- 19 -


 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors

FedEx Corporation

Results of Review of Interim Financial Statements

We have reviewed the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet of FedEx Corporation (the Company) as of November 30, 2020, the related condensed consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income and changes in common stockholders’ investment for the three- and six-month periods ended November 30, 2020 and 2019, the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the six-month periods ended November 30, 2020 and 2019, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “condensed consolidated interim financial statements”). Based on our reviews, we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to the condensed consolidated interim financial statements for them to be in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We have previously audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheet of the Company as of May 31, 2020, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, cash flows and changes in common stockholders’ investment for the year then ended, and the related notes (not presented herein); and in our report dated July 20, 2020, we expressed an unqualified audit opinion on those consolidated financial statements. In our opinion, the information set forth in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of May 31, 2020, is fairly stated, in all material respects, in relation to the consolidated balance sheet from which it has been derived.

 

Basis for Review Results

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and the PCAOB. We conducted our review in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. A review of interim financial statements consists principally of applying analytical procedures and making inquiries of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters. It is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB, the objective of which is the expression of an opinion regarding the financial statements taken as a whole. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.

 

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

 

Memphis, Tennessee

December 17, 2020

- 20 -


 

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition

GENERAL

The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition (“MD&A”) describes the principal factors affecting the results of operations, liquidity, capital resources, contractual cash obligations and critical accounting estimates of FedEx Corporation (“FedEx”). This discussion should be read in conjunction with the accompanying quarterly unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 31, 2020 (“Annual Report”). Our Annual Report includes additional information about our significant accounting policies, practices and the transactions that underlie our financial results, as well as a detailed discussion of the most significant risks and uncertainties associated with our financial condition and operating results.

We provide a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services through companies competing collectively, operating collaboratively and innovating digitally, under the respected FedEx brand. Our primary operating companies are Federal Express Corporation (“FedEx Express”), the world’s largest express transportation company; FedEx Ground Package System, Inc. (“FedEx Ground”), a leading North American provider of small-package ground delivery services; and FedEx Freight Corporation (“FedEx Freight”), a leading North American provider of less-than-truckload (“LTL”) freight transportation services. These companies represent our major service lines and, along with FedEx Corporate Services, Inc. (“FedEx Services”), constitute our reportable segments.

Our FedEx Services segment provides sales, marketing, information technology, communications, customer service, technical support, billing and collection services, and certain back-office functions that support our operating segments. See the “Reportable Segments” section of this MD&A for further discussion. Additional information on our businesses can be found in our Annual Report.

The key indicators necessary to understand our operating results include:

the overall customer demand for our various services based on macroeconomic factors and the global economy;

the volumes of transportation services provided through our networks, primarily measured by our average daily volume and shipment weight and size;

the mix of services purchased by our customers;

the prices we obtain for our services, primarily measured by yield (revenue per package or pound or revenue per shipment or hundredweight for LTL freight shipments);

our ability to manage our cost structure (capital expenditures and operating expenses) to match shifting volume levels; and

the timing and amount of fluctuations in fuel prices and our ability to recover incremental fuel costs through our fuel surcharges.

Many of our operating expenses are directly impacted by revenue and volume levels, and we expect these operating expenses to fluctuate on a year-over-year basis consistent with changes in revenue and volumes. Therefore, the discussion of operating expense captions focuses on the key drivers and trends impacting expenses other than those factors strictly related to changes in revenue and volumes. The line item “Other operating expense” includes costs associated with outside service contracts (such as facility services and cargo handling, temporary labor and security), insurance, uniforms and professional fees.

Except as otherwise specified, references to years indicate our fiscal year ending May 31, 2021 or ended May 31 of the year referenced and comparisons are to the corresponding period of the prior year. References to our transportation segments include, collectively, the FedEx Express segment, the FedEx Ground segment and the FedEx Freight segment.

- 21 -


 

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

CONSOLIDATED RESULTS

The following tables compare summary operating results and changes in revenue and operating income (loss) (dollars in millions, except per share amounts) for the periods ended November 30:

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Percent

 

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

Percent

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

Change

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

Change

 

 

Revenue

 

$

20,563

 

 

$

17,324

 

 

 

19

 

 

 

$

39,884

 

 

$

34,372

 

 

 

16

 

 

Operating income (loss):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FedEx Express segment

 

 

900

 

 

 

236

 

 

 

281

 

 

 

 

1,610

 

 

 

521

 

 

 

209

 

 

FedEx Ground segment

 

 

552

 

 

 

342

 

 

 

61

 

 

 

 

1,386

 

 

 

986

 

 

 

41

 

 

FedEx Freight segment

 

 

252

 

 

 

141

 

 

 

79

 

 

 

 

526

 

 

 

335

 

 

 

57

 

 

Corporate, other and eliminations

 

 

(239

)

 

 

(165

)

 

 

(45

)

 

 

 

(467

)

 

 

(311

)

 

 

(50

)

 

Consolidated operating income

 

 

1,465

 

 

 

554

 

 

 

164

 

 

 

 

3,055

 

 

 

1,531

 

 

 

100

 

 

Operating margin:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FedEx Express segment

 

 

8.7

%

 

 

2.6

%

 

 

610

 

bp

 

 

8.0

%

 

 

2.9

%

 

 

510

 

bp

FedEx Ground segment

 

 

7.5

%

 

 

6.4

%

 

 

110

 

bp

 

 

9.6

%

 

 

9.4

%

 

 

20

 

bp

FedEx Freight segment

 

 

13.0

%

 

 

7.6

%

 

 

540

 

bp

 

 

14.0

%

 

 

8.9

%

 

 

510

 

bp

Consolidated operating margin

 

 

7.1

%

 

 

3.2

%

 

 

390

 

bp

 

 

7.7

%

 

 

4.5

%

 

 

320

 

bp

Consolidated net income

 

$

1,226

 

 

$

560

 

 

 

119

 

 

 

$

2,471

 

 

$

1,305

 

 

 

89

 

 

Diluted earnings per share

 

$

4.55

 

 

$

2.13

 

 

 

114

 

 

 

$

9.26

 

 

$

4.97

 

 

 

86

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change in Revenue

 

 

Change in Operating Income (Loss)

 

 

 

Three Months

Ended

 

 

Six Months

Ended

 

 

Three Months

Ended

 

 

Six Months

Ended

 

FedEx Express segment

 

$

1,284

 

 

$

1,986

 

 

$

664

 

 

$

1,089

 

FedEx Ground segment

 

 

2,029

 

 

 

3,890

 

 

 

210

 

 

 

400

 

FedEx Freight segment

 

 

92

 

 

 

13

 

 

 

111

 

 

 

191

 

FedEx Services segment

 

 

3

 

 

 

7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate, other and eliminations

 

 

(169

)

 

 

(384

)

 

 

(74

)

 

 

(156

)

 

 

$

3,239

 

 

$

5,512

 

 

$

911

 

 

$

1,524

 

Overview

Elevated demand for our residential delivery services, resulting from the ongoing impact of the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic, continued during the second quarter of 2021. In addition, demand for our business-to-business delivery services strengthened relative to the first quarter of 2021 as COVID-19-related restrictions moderated globally during the second quarter. As a result, our revenue and operating income improved during the second quarter and first half of 2021. We continued to incur increased operating expenses to support elevated levels of demand for our services in the COVID-19 pandemic environment, including additional labor expenses, costs of operating our seven-day network at FedEx Ground and costs of operating our air network to support higher demand in key international supply chains impacted by constrained commercial air capacity. We also incurred increased operating expenses related to personal protective equipment and medical/safety supplies, as well as additional security and cleaning services, in order to protect our team members and customers during the COVID-19 pandemic, of approximately $50 million in the second quarter and $150 million in the first half of 2021. In addition, we incurred costs associated with network contingencies, including additional personnel to support operations through the peak season during the pandemic.

Our consolidated operating income improved during both the second quarter and first half of 2021 due to international export and U.S. domestic package volume growth at FedEx Express, residential volume growth at FedEx Ground and pricing initiatives across all of our transportation segments. Higher purchased transportation expenses at FedEx Ground are also driven by increased residential product mix in both the second quarter and first half of 2021. Additionally, higher variable incentive compensation expense negatively impacted year-over-year second quarter comparisons by approximately $215 million and first half comparisons by approximately $410 million.

- 22 -


 

The loss of business from a large customer negatively impacted earnings in 2020. In addition, during the second quarter of 2020, we recorded asset impairment charges of $66 million ($50 million, net of tax, or $0.19 per diluted share) associated with the decision to permanently retire certain aircraft and related engines at FedEx Express. See Note 1 of the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for additional information.

We incurred integration expenses totaling $48 million ($36 million, net of tax, or $0.13 per diluted share) in the second quarter and $97 million ($74 million, net of tax, or $0.28 per diluted share) in the first half of 2021, a $16 million decrease from the second quarter and a $38 million decrease from the first half of 2020. The integration expenses are predominantly incremental costs directly associated with the integration of TNT Express, including professional and legal fees, salaries and employee benefits, travel and advertising expenses. Internal salaries and employee benefits are included only to the extent the individuals are assigned full-time to integration activities. These costs were incurred at FedEx Express and FedEx Corporate. The identification of these costs as integration-related expenditures is subject to our disclosure controls and procedures.

Consolidated net income in the second quarter and first half of 2021 includes a pre-tax, noncash mark-to-market (“MTM”) net loss of $52 million ($41 million, net of tax, or $0.15 per diluted share) associated with freezing our TNT Express Netherlands Pension Plan. See the “Retirement Plan MTM Adjustment” section of this MD&A and Note 7 of the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for additional information.

The comparison of net income between 2021 and 2020 is affected by a tax benefit of $191 million ($0.71 per diluted share) recognized during the second quarter of 2021, primarily attributable to guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) during the quarter, and a tax benefit of $133 million ($0.51 per diluted share) from the reduction of a valuation allowance recognized during the second quarter and first half of 2020. See the “Income Taxes” section of this MD&A for further information.

- 23 -


 

The following graphs for FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight show selected volume trends (in thousands) over the five most recent quarters:

 

(1)

International domestic average daily package volume relates to our international intra-country operations. International export average daily package volume relates to our international priority and economy services.

 

(2)

International average daily freight pounds relate to our international priority, economy and airfreight services.

- 24 -


 

The following graphs for FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight show selected yield trends over the five most recent quarters:

 

(1)

International export revenue per package relates to our international priority and economy services. International domestic revenue per package relates to our international intra-country operations.

 

(2)

International revenue per pound relates to our international priority, economy and airfreight services.

- 25 -


 

Revenue

Revenue increased 19% in the second quarter and 16% in the first half of 2021 primarily due to volume growth in residential delivery services at FedEx Ground and U.S. domestic package volume growth at FedEx Express, both reflecting increased e-commerce demand resulting from the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, demand for our business-to-business delivery services strengthened relative to the first quarter of 2021 as COVID-19-related restrictions moderated globally during the second quarter. International export package volume growth at FedEx Express and pricing initiatives across all of our transportation segments also contributed to the increase in revenue during the second quarter and first half of 2021. Additionally, one additional operating day at all of our transportation segments positively impacted revenue in the first half of 2021. These positive factors were partially offset by lower fuel surcharges at all of our transportation segments during both the second quarter and first half of 2021.

At FedEx Ground, revenue increased 38% in the second quarter and 37% in the first half of 2021 primarily due to residential delivery volume growth. This sharp increase in demand is the result of a shift in consumer shopping patterns accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Revenue at FedEx Express increased 14% in the second quarter and 11% in the first half of 2021 due to international export and U.S. domestic package volume growth. FedEx Freight revenue increased 5% in the second quarter of 2021 primarily due to higher revenue per shipment. Revenue at FedEx Freight remained flat in the first half of 2021 due to higher revenue per shipment, partially offset by decreased average daily shipments.

Operating Expenses

The following tables compare operating expenses expressed as dollar amounts (in millions) and as a percent of revenue for the periods ended November 30:

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Percent

 

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

Percent

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

Change

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

Change

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salaries and employee benefits

 

$

7,443

 

 

$

6,235

 

 

 

19

 

 

 

$

14,295

 

 

$

12,322

 

 

 

16

 

Purchased transportation

 

 

5,407

 

 

 

4,328

 

 

 

25

 

 

 

 

10,384

 

 

 

8,356

 

 

 

24

 

Rentals and landing fees

 

 

1,006

 

 

 

924

 

 

 

9

 

 

 

 

1,942

 

 

 

1,844

 

 

 

5

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

936

 

 

 

901

 

 

 

4

 

 

 

 

1,862

 

 

 

1,780

 

 

 

5

 

Fuel

 

 

625

 

 

 

890

 

 

 

(30

)

 

 

 

1,190

 

 

 

1,760

 

 

 

(32

)

Maintenance and repairs

 

 

815

 

 

 

774

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

 

1,621

 

 

 

1,542

 

 

 

5

 

Asset impairment charges

 

 

 

 

 

66

 

 

NM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

66

 

 

NM

 

Other

 

 

2,866

 

 

 

2,652

 

 

 

8

 

 

 

 

5,535

 

 

 

5,171

 

 

 

7

 

Total operating expenses

 

 

19,098

 

 

 

16,770

 

 

 

14

 

 

 

 

36,829

 

 

 

32,841

 

 

 

12

 

Operating income

 

$

1,465

 

 

$

554

 

 

 

164

 

 

 

$

3,055

 

 

$

1,531

 

 

 

100

 

 

 

 

Percent of Revenue

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

2019

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

2019

 

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salaries and employee benefits

 

 

36.2

 

%

 

 

36.0

 

%

 

 

35.8

 

%

 

 

35.8

 

%

Purchased transportation

 

 

26.3

 

 

 

 

25.0

 

 

 

 

26.0

 

 

 

 

24.3

 

 

Rentals and landing fees

 

 

4.9

 

 

 

 

5.3

 

 

 

 

4.9

 

 

 

 

5.4

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

4.6

 

 

 

 

5.2

 

 

 

 

4.7

 

 

 

 

5.2

 

 

Fuel

 

 

3.0

 

 

 

 

5.1

 

 

 

 

3.0

 

 

 

 

5.1

 

 

Maintenance and repairs

 

 

4.0

 

 

 

 

4.5

 

 

 

 

4.0

 

 

 

 

4.5

 

 

Asset impairment charges

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.2

 

 

Other

 

 

13.9

 

 

 

 

15.3

 

 

 

 

13.9

 

 

 

 

15.0

 

 

Total operating expenses

 

 

92.9

 

 

 

 

96.8

 

 

 

 

92.3

 

 

 

 

95.5

 

 

Operating margin

 

 

7.1

 

%

 

 

3.2

 

%

 

 

7.7

 

%

 

 

4.5

 

%

Volume growth, as discussed in the “Revenue” section of this MD&A, contributed to a 25% increase in purchased transportation costs in the second quarter and a 24% increase in the first half of 2021, as well as an increase in salaries and employee benefits expense of 19% in the second quarter and 16% in the first half of 2021. Purchased transportation costs were also higher in both the second quarter and first half of 2021 driven by increased residential product mix at FedEx Ground. In addition, salaries and employee benefits expense increased in both the second quarter and first half of 2021 due to higher variable incentive compensation expense and merit increases.

- 26 -


 

Fuel

The following graph for our transportation segments shows our average cost of jet and vehicle fuel per gallon for the five most recent quarters:

Fuel expense decreased 30% in the second quarter and 32% in the first half of 2021 due to lower fuel prices. Fuel prices represent only one component of the factors we consider meaningful in understanding the impact of fuel on our business. Consideration must also be given to the fuel surcharge revenue we collect. Accordingly, we believe discussion of the net impact of fuel on our results, which is a comparison of the year-over-year change in these two factors, is important to understand the impact of fuel on our business. In order to provide information about the impact of fuel surcharges on the trend in revenue and yield growth, we have included the comparative weighted-average fuel surcharge percentages in effect for the second quarters of 2021 and 2020 in the accompanying discussion of each of our transportation segments.

Because of the factors described above, our operating results may be affected should the market price of fuel suddenly change by a significant amount or change by amounts that do not result in an adjustment in our fuel surcharges, which can significantly affect our earnings either positively or negatively in the short-term. The net impact of fuel on operating income described below and for each segment below excludes the impact from these table changes.

The net impact of fuel had a slight benefit to operating income in the second quarter and first half of 2021 as decreased fuel prices outpaced lower fuel surcharges.

Asset Impairment Charges

During the second quarter of 2020, we made the decision to permanently retire from service 10 Airbus A310-300 aircraft and 12 related engines at FedEx Express to align with the needs of the U.S. domestic network and modernize its aircraft fleet. As a consequence of this decision, noncash impairment charges of $66 million ($50 million, net of tax, or $0.19 per diluted share) were recorded in the FedEx Express segment in the second quarter of 2020.

- 27 -


 

Retirement Plan MTM Adjustment

We incurred a pre-tax, noncash MTM net loss of $52 million ($41 million, net of tax, or $0.15 per diluted share) in the second quarter of 2021 related to amendments to the TNT Express Netherlands Pension Plan. Benefits for approximately 2,100 employees will be frozen effective December 31, 2020. Effective January 1, 2021, these employees will begin earning pension benefits under a separate, multi-employer pension plan. See Note 7 of the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for additional information.

Income Taxes

Our effective tax rate was 12.8% for the second quarter and 18.0% for the first half of 2021, compared to 2.1% for the second quarter and 16.8% for the first half of 2020. The 2021 tax rates include a benefit of $191 million from an increase in our 2020 tax loss that the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) will allow to be carried back to 2015, when the U.S. federal income tax rate was 35%. The increase in our estimated 2020 tax loss is attributable to our Application for Change in Accounting Method filed with the IRS during the fourth quarter of 2020 discussed below and other accelerated deductions to be claimed on the 2020 tax return. The 2020 tax rates included a $133 million benefit from a valuation allowance reduction which, when combined with substantially lower consolidated earnings, produced a significantly lower rate for the second quarter of 2020 compared to the second quarter of 2021.

We filed an application with the IRS in 2020 requesting approval to change our accounting method for depreciation to allow retroactive application of tax regulations issued during 2020 on certain assets placed in service during 2018 and 2019. During the second quarter of 2021, the IRS issued guidance granting automatic approval to change the method of accounting for these assets resulting in an income tax benefit of $130 million for the second quarter.

We are subject to taxation in the United States and various U.S. state, local and foreign jurisdictions. We are currently under examination by the IRS for the 2016 and 2017 tax years. It is reasonably possible that certain income tax return proceedings will be completed during the next twelve months and could result in a change in our balance of unrecognized tax benefits. The impact of any changes is not expected to be material to our consolidated financial statements.

During the second quarter of 2021, we filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee challenging the validity of a tax regulation related to the one-time transition tax on unrepatriated foreign earnings, which was enacted as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”). Our lawsuit seeks to have the court declare this regulation invalid and order the refund of overpayments of U.S. federal income taxes for 2018 and 2019 attributable to the denial of foreign tax credits under the regulation. We have recorded a cumulative benefit of $233 million through 2019 attributable to our interpretation of the TCJA and the Internal Revenue Code. If we are ultimately unsuccessful in defending our position, we may be required to reverse the benefit previously recorded.

Business Acquisitions

On December 2, 2020, we agreed to acquire ShopRunner, Inc. (“ShopRunner”), an e-commerce platform that directly connects brands and merchants with online shoppers. The cost of the acquisition will not be material and will be funded with cash from operations. This acquisition is expected to be completed in December 2020, subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approval. The financial results of ShopRunner will be included in “Corporate, other and eliminations” from the date of acquisition and are not expected to be material to our results of operations in 2021.

- 28 -


 

Outlook

We anticipate the continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will drive increased demand for our FedEx Ground and FedEx Express services in the second half of the fiscal year resulting in improved year-over-year revenue and operating income at those two segments for the remainder of 2021. In addition, yield management and improved productivity is anticipated to contribute to revenue and operating income growth at the FedEx Freight segment in 2021. However, the uncertainty concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the potential for additional government-related restrictions, continues to make any expectations for the second half of 2021 inherently less certain. If our current trends continue, we expect certain expenses, including higher variable incentive compensation accruals, rising labor costs and increased supply and other costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, to continue to be incurred during the remainder of 2021. We also expect headwinds related to the December 31, 2020 expiration of the aviation excise tax holiday created by the CARES Act and a higher effective income tax rate for the second half of 2021.

Government travel warnings as well as existing restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic are expected to continue to impact the demand for commercial air travel, thereby reducing available air freight capacity. As a result of these ongoing capacity constraints, we expect continued strong demand for international priority shipments for the remainder of 2021 to necessitate increased usage of our assets to support demand in key international supply chains. In addition, we anticipate a modest increase in volumes from the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines. We will continue managing network capacity, flexing our network and making adjustments as needed to align with volumes and operating conditions.

In response to current business conditions, we are extending certain surcharges beyond the peak shipping period, although at a reduced rate. These surcharges will begin on January 18, 2021 and may be adjusted in future periods as business or market conditions evolve.

We have expanded FedEx Ground seven-day residential delivery coverage to nearly 95 percent of the U.S. population and will continue to optimize our network capacity to meet evolving customer needs. During the remainder of 2021, we will focus on last-mile residential delivery optimization, including by directing certain U.S. day-definite residential FedEx Express shipments into the FedEx Ground network to increase efficiency and lower our cost-to-serve. We also are focused on improving revenue quality and lowering costs through advanced technology aimed at improving productivity and safety.

We are continuing to execute our TNT Express integration plans and are scheduled to complete the integration of the FedEx Express and TNT Express linehaul and pickup-and-delivery operations and begin offering an enhanced portfolio of international services in 2021. We will leverage the capabilities that TNT Express adds to our portfolio, which are expected to improve our European revenue and profitability, which continue to underperform our expectations for that market. We expect to complete the final phase of international air network interoperability in early calendar 2022.

We expect to incur approximately $80 million of integration expenses in the remainder of 2021 in the form of professional fees, outside service contracts, salaries and wages and other operating expenses. We expect the aggregate integration program expenses to be $1.7 billion through the completion of the physical network integration of TNT Express into FedEx Express in 2022.

As we approach the completion of the physical network integration of TNT Express in 2022, we are evaluating opportunities and pursuing initiatives in addition to the integration to continue to transform and optimize the FedEx Express international business, particularly in Europe. These actions are focused on reducing the complexity and fragmentation of our international business, improving efficiency to meet changing customer expectations and business dynamics, lowering costs, increasing profitability and improving service levels. We expect to incur additional costs, over multiple years, which may be material, including transformation costs and capital investments related to these actions.

Our expectations for the remainder of 2021 are dependent on key external factors, including no further weakening of global economic conditions or additional shut-downs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, current fuel price expectations, and no additional adverse developments in international trade policies and relations.

Other Outlook Matters. For details on key 2021 capital projects, refer to the “Liquidity Outlook” section of this MD&A.

See “Forward-Looking Statements” and Part II, Item 1A “Risk Factors” for a discussion of these and other potential risks and uncertainties that could materially affect our future performance.

RECENT ACCOUNTING GUIDANCE

See Note 1 of the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for a discussion of recent accounting guidance.

- 29 -


 

REPORTABLE SEGMENTS

FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight represent our major service lines and, along with FedEx Services, constitute our reportable segments. Our reportable segments include the following businesses:

 

FedEx Express Segment

FedEx Express (express transportation, small-package ground delivery and freight transportation)

 

FedEx Custom Critical, Inc. (“FedEx Custom Critical”) (time-critical transportation)

FedEx Cross Border Holdings, Inc. (“FedEx Cross Border”) (cross-border e-commerce technology and e-commerce transportation solutions)

 

 

FedEx Ground Segment

FedEx Ground (small-package ground delivery)

 

 

FedEx Freight Segment

FedEx Freight (LTL freight transportation)

 

 

FedEx Services Segment

FedEx Services (sales, marketing, information technology, communications, customer service, technical support, billing and collection services and back-office functions)

FEDEX SERVICES SEGMENT

The operating expense line item “Intercompany charges” on the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of our transportation segments reflects the allocations from the FedEx Services segment to the respective operating segments. The allocations of net operating costs are based on metrics such as relative revenue or estimated services provided.

The FedEx Services segment provides direct and indirect support to our operating segments, and we allocate all of the net operating costs of the FedEx Services segment to reflect the full cost of operating our businesses in the results of those segments. We review and evaluate the performance of our transportation segments based on operating income (inclusive of FedEx Services segment allocations). For the FedEx Services segment, performance is evaluated based on the impact of its total allocated net operating costs on our operating segments. We believe these allocations approximate the net cost of providing these functions. Our allocation methodologies are refined periodically, as necessary, to reflect changes in our businesses.

CORPORATE, OTHER AND ELIMINATIONS

Corporate and other includes corporate headquarters costs for executive officers and certain legal and finance functions, as well as certain other costs and credits not attributed to our core business. These costs are not allocated to the other business segments. Also, the results of the FedEx Logistics, Inc. (“FedEx Logistics”) and FedEx Office and Print Services, Inc. (“FedEx Office”) operating segments are included in corporate and other. FedEx Office provides an array of document and business services and retail access to our customers for our package transportation businesses. FedEx Logistics provides integrated supply chain management solutions, specialty transportation, customs brokerage and global ocean and air freight forwarding.

In the second quarter and first half of 2021, the decrease in revenue in “Corporate, other and eliminations” was due to a significant decline in non-shipping revenue at FedEx Office resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The transfer of FedEx Custom Critical and FedEx Cross Border into the FedEx Express segment contributed to the decrease in revenue in the second quarter and first half of 2021.

Certain FedEx operating companies provide transportation and related services for other FedEx companies outside their reportable segment in order to optimize our resources. For example, during the second quarter and first half of 2021, FedEx Freight provided road and intermodal support for both FedEx Ground and FedEx Express and FedEx Ground provided delivery support for certain FedEx Express packages as part of our last-mile optimization efforts. Billings for such services are based on negotiated rates, which we believe approximate fair value, and are reflected as revenue of the billing segment. These rates are adjusted from time to time based on market conditions. Such intersegment revenue and expenses are eliminated in our consolidated results and are not separately identified in the following segment information because the amounts are not material.

- 30 -


 

FEDEX EXPRESS SEGMENT

FedEx Express offers a wide range of U.S. domestic and international shipping services for delivery of packages and freight including priority, deferred and economy services, which provide delivery on a time-definite or day-definite basis. The following tables compare revenue, operating expenses, operating income (dollars in millions), operating margin and operating expenses as a percent of revenue for the periods ended November 30:

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Percent

 

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

Percent

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

Change

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

Change

 

 

Revenue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Package:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. overnight box

 

$

2,012

 

 

$

1,864

 

 

 

8

 

 

 

$

3,873

 

 

$

3,730

 

 

 

4

 

 

U.S. overnight envelope

 

 

435

 

 

 

457

 

 

 

(5

)

 

 

 

861

 

 

 

936

 

 

 

(8

)

 

U.S. deferred

 

 

1,204

 

 

 

980

 

 

 

23

 

 

 

 

2,300

 

 

 

1,936

 

 

 

19

 

 

Total U.S. domestic package revenue

 

 

3,651

 

 

 

3,301

 

 

 

11

 

 

 

 

7,034

 

 

 

6,602

 

 

 

7

 

 

International priority

 

 

2,510

 

 

 

1,817

 

 

 

38

 

 

 

 

4,827

 

 

 

3,634

 

 

 

33

 

 

International economy

 

 

658

 

 

 

873

 

 

 

(25

)

 

 

 

1,274

 

 

 

1,728

 

 

 

(26

)

 

Total international export package revenue

 

 

3,168

 

 

 

2,690

 

 

 

18

 

 

 

 

6,101

 

 

 

5,362

 

 

 

14

 

 

International domestic(1)

 

 

1,206

 

 

 

1,165

 

 

 

4

 

 

 

 

2,294

 

 

 

2,241

 

 

 

2

 

 

Total package revenue

 

 

8,025

 

 

 

7,156

 

 

 

12

 

 

 

 

15,429

 

 

 

14,205

 

 

 

9

 

 

Freight:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S.

 

 

799

 

 

 

698

 

 

 

14

 

 

 

 

1,632

 

 

 

1,393

 

 

 

17

 

 

International priority

 

 

737

 

 

 

473

 

 

 

56

 

 

 

 

1,390

 

 

 

937

 

 

 

48

 

 

International economy

 

 

408

 

 

 

541

 

 

 

(25

)

 

 

 

779

 

 

 

1,057

 

 

 

(26

)

 

International airfreight

 

 

65

 

 

 

70

 

 

 

(7

)

 

 

 

140

 

 

 

136

 

 

 

3

 

 

Total freight revenue

 

 

2,009

 

 

 

1,782

 

 

 

13

 

 

 

 

3,941

 

 

 

3,523

 

 

 

12

 

 

Other(2)

 

 

334

 

 

 

146

 

 

 

129

 

 

 

 

645

 

 

 

301

 

 

 

114

 

 

Total revenue

 

 

10,368

 

 

 

9,084

 

 

 

14

 

 

 

 

20,015

 

 

 

18,029

 

 

 

11

 

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salaries and employee benefits

 

 

3,922

 

 

 

3,405

 

 

 

15

 

 

 

 

7,664

 

 

 

6,777

 

 

 

13

 

 

Purchased transportation

 

 

1,449

 

 

 

1,267

 

 

 

14

 

 

 

 

2,753

 

 

 

2,499

 

 

 

10

 

 

Rentals and landing fees

 

 

542

 

 

 

505

 

 

 

7

 

 

 

 

1,046

 

 

 

1,018

 

 

 

3

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

482

 

 

 

469

 

 

 

3

 

 

 

 

959

 

 

 

931

 

 

 

3

 

 

Fuel

 

 

529

 

 

 

754

 

 

 

(30

)

 

 

 

1,025

 

 

 

1,497

 

 

 

(32

)

 

Maintenance and repairs

 

 

542

 

 

 

514

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

 

1,093

 

 

 

1,031

 

 

 

6

 

 

Asset impairment charges

 

 

 

 

 

66

 

 

NM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

66

 

 

NM

 

 

Intercompany charges

 

 

486

 

 

 

500

 

 

 

(3

)

 

 

 

947

 

 

 

969

 

 

 

(2

)

 

Other

 

 

1,516

 

 

 

1,368

 

 

 

11

 

 

 

 

2,918

 

 

 

2,720

 

 

 

7

 

 

Total operating expenses

 

 

9,468

 

 

 

8,848

 

 

 

7

 

 

 

 

18,405

 

 

 

17,508

 

 

 

5

 

 

Operating income

 

$

900

 

 

$

236

 

 

 

281

 

 

 

$

1,610

 

 

$

521

 

 

 

209

 

 

Operating margin

 

 

8.7

%

 

 

2.6

%

 

 

610

 

bp

 

 

8.0

%

 

 

2.9

%

 

 

510

 

bp

 

(1)

International domestic revenue relates to our international intra-country operations.

 

(2)

Includes the operations of FedEx Custom Critical and FedEx Cross Border for the periods ended November 30, 2020.

- 31 -


 

 

 

Percent of Revenue

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

2019

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

2019

 

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salaries and employee benefits

 

 

37.8

 

%

 

 

37.5

 

%

 

 

38.3

 

%

 

 

37.6

 

%

Purchased transportation

 

 

14.0

 

 

 

 

13.9

 

 

 

 

13.8

 

 

 

 

13.9

 

 

Rentals and landing fees

 

 

5.2

 

 

 

 

5.6

 

 

 

 

5.2

 

 

 

 

5.6

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

4.7

 

 

 

 

5.2

 

 

 

 

4.8

 

 

 

 

5.1

 

 

Fuel

 

 

5.1

 

 

 

 

8.3

 

 

 

 

5.1

 

 

 

 

8.3

 

 

Maintenance and repairs

 

 

5.2

 

 

 

 

5.6

 

 

 

 

5.5

 

 

 

 

5.7

 

 

Asset impairment charges

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.4

 

 

Intercompany charges

 

 

4.7

 

 

 

 

5.5

 

 

 

 

4.7

 

 

 

 

5.4

 

 

Other

 

 

14.6

 

 

 

 

15.1

 

 

 

 

14.6

 

 

 

 

15.1

 

 

Total operating expenses

 

 

91.3

 

 

 

 

97.4

 

 

 

 

92.0

 

 

 

 

97.1

 

 

Operating margin

 

 

8.7

 

%

 

 

2.6

 

%

 

 

8.0

 

%

 

 

2.9

 

%

The following table compares selected statistics (in thousands, except yield amounts) for the periods ended November 30:

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Percent

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

Percent

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

Change

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

Change

 

Package Statistics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Average daily package volume (ADV):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. overnight box

 

 

1,453

 

 

 

1,244

 

 

 

17

 

 

 

1,369

 

 

 

1,231

 

 

 

11

 

U.S. overnight envelope

 

 

512

 

 

 

547

 

 

 

(6

)

 

 

497

 

 

 

554

 

 

 

(10

)

U.S. deferred

 

 

1,339

 

 

 

1,012

 

 

 

32

 

 

 

1,272

 

 

 

994

 

 

 

28

 

Total U.S. domestic ADV

 

 

3,304

 

 

 

2,803

 

 

 

18

 

 

 

3,138

 

 

 

2,779

 

 

 

13

 

International priority

 

 

748

 

 

 

565

 

 

 

32

 

 

 

722

 

 

 

548

 

 

 

32

 

International economy

 

 

296

 

 

 

315

 

 

 

(6

)

 

 

277

 

 

 

304

 

 

 

(9

)

Total international export ADV

 

 

1,044

 

 

 

880

 

 

 

19

 

 

 

999

 

 

 

852

 

 

 

17

 

International domestic(1)

 

 

2,635

 

 

 

2,669

 

 

 

(1

)

 

 

2,464

 

 

 

2,509

 

 

 

(2

)

Total ADV

 

 

6,983

 

 

 

6,352

 

 

 

10

 

 

 

6,601

 

 

 

6,140

 

 

 

8

 

Revenue per package (yield):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. overnight box

 

$

21.98

 

 

$

23.78

 

 

 

(8

)

 

$

22.10

 

 

$

23.86

 

 

 

(7

)

U.S. overnight envelope

 

 

13.50

 

 

 

13.26

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

13.53

 

 

 

13.29

 

 

 

2

 

U.S. deferred

 

 

14.27

 

 

 

15.39

 

 

 

(7

)

 

 

14.12

 

 

 

15.34

 

 

 

(8

)

U.S. domestic composite

 

 

17.54

 

 

 

18.70

 

 

 

(6

)

 

 

17.51

 

 

 

18.71

 

 

 

(6

)

International priority

 

 

53.26

 

 

 

51.03

 

 

 

4

 

 

 

52.24

 

 

 

52.25

 

 

 

 

International economy

 

 

35.29

 

 

 

43.94

 

 

 

(20

)

 

 

35.84

 

 

 

44.71

 

 

 

(20

)

International export composite

 

 

48.17

 

 

 

48.49

 

 

 

(1

)

 

 

47.69

 

 

 

49.55

 

 

 

(4

)

International domestic(1)

 

 

7.27

 

 

 

6.92

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

7.27

 

 

 

7.03

 

 

 

3

 

Composite package yield

 

$

18.24

 

 

$

17.88

 

 

 

2

 

 

$

18.26

 

 

$

18.21

 

 

 

 

Freight Statistics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Average daily freight pounds:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S.

 

 

9,511

 

 

 

8,364

 

 

 

14

 

 

 

9,175

 

 

 

8,188

 

 

 

12

 

International priority

 

 

6,234

 

 

 

5,230

 

 

 

19

 

 

 

5,862

 

 

 

5,010

 

 

 

17

 

International economy

 

 

13,560

 

 

 

15,241

 

 

 

(11

)

 

 

12,581

 

 

 

14,473

 

 

 

(13

)

International airfreight

 

 

1,605

 

 

 

1,726

 

 

 

(7

)

 

 

1,590

 

 

 

1,640

 

 

 

(3

)

Total average daily freight pounds

 

 

30,910

 

 

 

30,561

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

29,208

 

 

 

29,311

 

 

 

 

Revenue per pound (yield):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S.

 

$

1.33

 

 

$

1.32

 

 

 

1

 

 

$

1.39

 

 

$

1.34

 

 

 

4

 

International priority

 

 

1.88

 

 

 

1.43

 

 

 

31

 

 

 

1.85

 

 

 

1.47

 

 

 

26

 

International economy

 

 

0.48

 

 

 

0.56

 

 

 

(14

)

 

 

0.48

 

 

 

0.57

 

 

 

(16

)

International airfreight

 

 

0.64

 

 

 

0.65

 

 

 

(2

)

 

 

0.69

 

 

 

0.65

 

 

 

6

 

Composite freight yield

 

$

1.03

 

 

$

0.93

 

 

 

11

 

 

$

1.05

 

 

$

0.95

 

 

 

11

 

 

 

(1)

International domestic statistics relate to our international intra-country operations.

- 32 -


 

FedEx Express Segment Revenue

FedEx Express segment revenue increased 14% in the second quarter and 11% in the first half of 2021 due to international export and U.S. domestic package volume growth, partially offset by lower fuel surcharges. The demand for our U.S. domestic residential service offerings continued to accelerate during the second quarter of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Revenue was also positively impacted by pricing initiatives resulting from global air freight capacity constraints in the second quarter and first half of 2021 and one additional operating day in the first half of 2021. FedEx Express segment revenue includes a benefit from a reduction in aviation excise taxes on cargo provided by the CARES Act in the second quarter and first half of 2021.

International export package average daily volumes increased 19% in the second quarter and 17% in the first half of 2021 led by volume growth from Asia-Pacific and Europe. International export package yields decreased 4% in the first half of 2021 primarily due to lower fuel surcharges and base yield declines driven by lower weight per package, partially offset by favorable exchange rates and pricing initiatives resulting from global air freight capacity constraints. U.S. domestic package average daily volumes increased 18% in the second quarter and 13% in the first half of 2021 driven by growth in deferred service offerings, reflecting increased e-commerce demand resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. domestic package yields decreased 6% in both the second quarter and first half of 2021 due to decreased base yields driven by lower weight per package, as well as lower fuel surcharges. Composite freight yields increased 11% in both the second quarter and first half of 2021 primarily due to improved base yields, partially offset by lower fuel surcharges. Other revenue increased 129% in the second quarter and 114% in the first half of 2021 due to the transfer of FedEx Custom Critical and FedEx Cross Border into the FedEx Express segment.

FedEx Express’s U.S. domestic and outbound fuel surcharge and international fuel surcharge ranged as follows for the periods ended November 30:

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

U.S. Domestic and Outbound Fuel Surcharge:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Low

 

 

3.50

%

 

 

7.21

%

 

 

2.73

%

 

 

7.21

%

High

 

 

3.83

 

 

 

8.45

 

 

 

4.12

 

 

 

8.45

 

Weighted-average

 

 

3.64

 

 

 

7.53

 

 

 

3.54

 

 

 

7.54

 

International Export and Freight Fuel Surcharge:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Low

 

 

1.17

 

 

 

6.74

 

 

 

0.28

 

 

 

6.74

 

High

 

 

16.52

 

 

 

18.56

 

 

 

17.00

 

 

 

18.56

 

Weighted-average

 

 

10.67

 

 

 

15.64

 

 

 

10.49

 

 

 

15.59

 

International Domestic Fuel Surcharge:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Low

 

 

2.62

 

 

 

3.20

 

 

 

2.62

 

 

 

3.20

 

High

 

 

19.21

 

 

 

19.40

 

 

 

20.33

 

 

 

19.47

 

Weighted-average

 

 

5.91

 

 

 

7.29

 

 

 

5.92

 

 

 

7.39

 

FedEx Express Segment Operating Income

FedEx Express segment operating income increased 281% in the second quarter and 209% in the first half of 2021 due to international export and U.S. domestic package volume growth. FedEx Express segment operating results include approximately $70 million in the second quarter and $135 million in the first half of 2021 related to a benefit from a reduction in aviation excise taxes provided by the CARES Act. Results for the second quarter and first half of 2020 were negatively impacted by $66 million of asset impairment charges associated with the decision to permanently retire certain aircraft and related engines at FedEx Express. These factors were partially offset by higher variable incentive compensation expense of approximately $120 million in the second quarter and $230 million in the first half of 2021. In addition, we continued to incur increased operating expenses to support elevated levels of demand for our services in the COVID-19 pandemic environment in the second quarter and first half of 2021, including costs of operating our global network to support higher demand, which is partially impacted by constrained commercial air capacity.

FedEx Express segment results included $43 million of integration expenses in the second quarter and $80 million of such expenses in the first half of 2021, a $6 million decrease from the second quarter and a $26 million decrease from the first half of 2020.

- 33 -


 

Salaries and employee benefits expense increased 15% in the second quarter and 13% in the first half of 2021 primarily due to staffing to support volume growth and higher variable incentive compensation expense. In addition, increased costs associated with network contingencies as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the increase in salaries and employee benefits expense in both the second quarter and first half of 2021. Purchased transportation expense increased 14% in the second quarter and 10% in the first half of 2021 primarily due to the transfer of FedEx Custom Critical and FedEx Cross Border into the FedEx Express segment. Other operating expense increased 11% in the second quarter and 7% in the first half of 2021 primarily due to higher outside service contract expense and bad debt expense. Additionally, higher operating supplies, partially offset by decreased travel, both driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, negatively impacted other operating expense in both the second quarter and first half of 2021.

Fuel expense decreased 30% in the second quarter and 32% in the first half of 2021 due to lower fuel prices. The net impact of fuel had a slightly negative impact to operating income in the second quarter and first half of 2021 as lower fuel surcharges outpaced decreased fuel prices. See the “Fuel” section of this MD&A for a description and additional discussion of the net impact of fuel on our operating results.

- 34 -


 

FEDEX GROUND SEGMENT

FedEx Ground service offerings include day-certain delivery to businesses in the U.S. and Canada and to 100% of U.S. residences. The following tables compare revenue, operating expenses, operating income (dollars in millions), operating margin, selected package statistics (in thousands, except yield amounts) and operating expenses as a percent of revenue for the periods ended November 30:

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Percent

 

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

Percent

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

Change

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

Change

 

 

Revenue

 

$

7,344

 

 

$

5,315

 

 

 

38

 

 

 

$

14,384

 

 

$

10,494

 

 

 

37

 

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salaries and employee benefits

 

 

1,557

 

 

 

971

 

 

 

60

 

 

 

 

2,831

 

 

 

1,842

 

 

 

54

 

 

Purchased transportation

 

 

3,488

 

 

 

2,561

 

 

 

36

 

 

 

 

6,779

 

 

 

4,864

 

 

 

39

 

 

Rentals

 

 

289

 

 

 

249

 

 

 

16

 

 

 

 

553

 

 

 

488

 

 

 

13

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

205

 

 

 

195

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

 

409

 

 

 

388

 

 

 

5

 

 

Fuel

 

 

5

 

 

 

4

 

 

 

25

 

 

 

 

9

 

 

 

7

 

 

 

29

 

 

Maintenance and repairs

 

 

124

 

 

 

98

 

 

 

27

 

 

 

 

231

 

 

 

185

 

 

 

25

 

 

Intercompany charges

 

 

446

 

 

 

394

 

 

 

13

 

 

 

 

878

 

 

 

769

 

 

 

14

 

 

Other

 

 

678

 

 

 

501

 

 

 

35

 

 

 

 

1,308

 

 

 

965

 

 

 

36

 

 

Total operating expenses

 

 

6,792

 

 

 

4,973

 

 

 

37

 

 

 

 

12,998

 

 

 

9,508

 

 

 

37

 

 

Operating income

 

$

552

 

 

$

342

 

 

 

61

 

 

 

$

1,386

 

 

$

986

 

 

 

41

 

 

Operating margin

 

 

7.5

%

 

 

6.4

%

 

 

110

 

bp

 

 

9.6

%

 

 

9.4

%

 

 

20

 

bp

Average daily package volume

 

 

12,315

 

 

 

9,556

 

 

 

29

 

 

 

 

11,931

 

 

 

9,192

 

 

 

30

 

 

Revenue per package (yield)

 

$

9.42

 

 

$

8.80

 

 

 

7

 

 

 

$

9.38

 

 

$

8.96

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

 

 

Percent of Revenue

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

2019

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

2019

 

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salaries and employee benefits

 

 

21.2

 

%

 

 

18.3

 

%

 

 

19.7

 

%

 

 

17.6

 

%

Purchased transportation

 

 

47.5

 

 

 

 

48.2

 

 

 

 

47.1

 

 

 

 

46.3

 

 

Rentals

 

 

3.9

 

 

 

 

4.7

 

 

 

 

3.9

 

 

 

 

4.6

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

2.8

 

 

 

 

3.7

 

 

 

 

2.8

 

 

 

 

3.7

 

 

Fuel

 

 

0.1

 

 

 

 

0.1

 

 

 

 

0.1

 

 

 

 

0.1

 

 

Maintenance and repairs

 

 

1.7

 

 

 

 

1.8

 

 

 

 

1.6

 

 

 

 

1.8

 

 

Intercompany charges

 

 

6.1

 

 

 

 

7.4

 

 

 

 

6.1

 

 

 

 

7.3

 

 

Other

 

 

9.2

 

 

 

 

9.4

 

 

 

 

9.1

 

 

 

 

9.2

 

 

Total operating expenses

 

 

92.5

 

 

 

 

93.6

 

 

 

 

90.4

 

 

 

 

90.6

 

 

Operating margin

 

 

7.5

 

%

 

 

6.4

 

%

 

 

9.6

 

%

 

 

9.4

 

%

FedEx Ground Segment Revenue

FedEx Ground segment revenue increased 38% in the second quarter and 37% in the first half of 2021 primarily due to residential delivery volume growth. This sharp increase in demand resulted from a shift in consumer shopping patterns accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we experienced increased demand for our business-to-business delivery services relative to the first quarter of 2021 as COVID-19-related restrictions moderated during the second quarter. Additionally, revenue was positively impacted by yield management in the second quarter and first half of 2021 and one additional operating day in the first half of 2021.

Average daily volume increased 29% in the second quarter and 30% in the first half of 2021 primarily due to continued growth in residential services driven by e-commerce. FedEx Ground yields increased 7% in the second quarter and 5% in the first half of 2021 primarily due to yield improvement actions, partially offset by lower fuel surcharges.  

- 35 -


 

The FedEx Ground fuel surcharge is based on a rounded average of the national U.S. on-highway price for a gallon of diesel fuel, as published by the Department of Energy. The fuel surcharge ranged as follows for the periods ended November 30:

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

Low

 

 

5.50

%

 

 

6.75

%

 

 

5.50

%

 

 

6.75

%

High

 

 

5.75

 

 

 

7.00

 

 

 

5.75

 

 

 

7.25

 

Weighted-average

 

 

5.73

 

 

 

6.92

 

 

 

5.74

 

 

 

6.98

 

FedEx Ground Segment Operating Income

FedEx Ground segment operating income increased 61% in the second quarter and 41% in the first half of 2021 primarily due to residential delivery volume growth and yield improvement. These factors were partially offset by higher purchased transportation contractor settlement rates resulting from residential product mix, as well as additional labor expenses and higher self-insurance accruals in the second quarter and first half of 2021.

Purchased transportation expense increased 36% in the second quarter and 39% in the first half of 2021 due to higher volume and increased residential product mix. Salaries and employee benefits expense increased 60% in the second quarter and 54% in the first half of 2021 due to additional staffing to support volume growth, including costs associated with operating our seven-day network, merit increases and higher variable incentive compensation expense. In addition, increased costs associated with network contingencies as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the increase in salaries and employee benefits expense in both the second quarter and first half of 2021. Other operating expense increased 35% in the second quarter and 36% in the first half of 2021 primarily due to higher self-insurance accruals and higher operating supplies driven by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The net impact of fuel had a moderate benefit to operating income in the second quarter and first half of 2021 as decreased fuel prices outpaced lower fuel surcharges. See the “Fuel” section of this MD&A for a description and additional discussion of the net impact of fuel on our operating results.

- 36 -


 

FEDEX FREIGHT SEGMENT

FedEx Freight LTL service offerings include priority services when speed is critical and economy services when time can be traded for savings. The following tables compare revenue, operating expenses, operating income (dollars in millions), operating margin, selected statistics and operating expenses as a percent of revenue for the periods ended November 30:

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Percent

 

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

Percent

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

Change

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

Change

 

 

Revenue

 

$

1,936

 

 

$

1,844

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

$

3,762

 

 

$

3,749

 

 

 

 

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salaries and employee benefits

 

 

915

 

 

 

900

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

1,773

 

 

 

1,819

 

 

 

(3

)

 

Purchased transportation

 

 

209

 

 

 

187

 

 

 

12

 

 

 

 

379

 

 

 

374

 

 

 

1

 

 

Rentals

 

 

59

 

 

 

52

 

 

 

13

 

 

 

 

115

 

 

 

104

 

 

 

11

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

105

 

 

 

97

 

 

 

8

 

 

 

 

211

 

 

 

191

 

 

 

10

 

 

Fuel

 

 

90

 

 

 

132

 

 

 

(32

)

 

 

 

155

 

 

 

255

 

 

 

(39

)

 

Maintenance and repairs

 

 

57

 

 

 

68

 

 

 

(16

)

 

 

 

110

 

 

 

133

 

 

 

(17

)

 

Intercompany charges

 

 

122

 

 

 

130

 

 

 

(6

)

 

 

 

241

 

 

 

256

 

 

 

(6

)

 

Other

 

 

127

 

 

 

137

 

 

 

(7

)

 

 

 

252

 

 

 

282

 

 

 

(11

)

 

Total operating expenses

 

 

1,684

 

 

 

1,703

 

 

 

(1

)

 

 

 

3,236

 

 

 

3,414

 

 

 

(5

)

 

Operating income

 

$

252

 

 

$

141

 

 

 

79

 

 

 

$

526

 

 

$

335

 

 

 

57

 

 

Operating margin

 

 

13.0

%

 

 

7.6

%

 

 

540

 

bp

 

 

14.0

%

 

 

8.9

%

 

 

510

 

bp

Average daily shipments (in thousands):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Priority

 

 

78.1

 

 

 

77.4

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

74.6

 

 

 

78.0

 

 

 

(4

)

 

Economy

 

 

32.9

 

 

 

32.6

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

31.5

 

 

 

32.7

 

 

 

(4

)

 

Total average daily shipments

 

 

111.0

 

 

 

110.0

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

106.1

 

 

 

110.7

 

 

 

(4

)

 

Weight per shipment (lbs):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Priority

 

 

1,106

 

 

 

1,139

 

 

 

(3

)

 

 

 

1,101

 

 

 

1,147

 

 

 

(4

)

 

Economy

 

 

1,015

 

 

 

983

 

 

 

3

 

 

 

 

1,006

 

 

 

971

 

 

 

4

 

 

Composite weight per shipment

 

 

1,079

 

 

 

1,092

 

 

 

(1

)

 

 

 

1,073

 

 

 

1,095

 

 

 

(2

)

 

Revenue per shipment:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Priority

 

$

264.05

 

 

$

258.90

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

$

262.02

 

 

$

257.14

 

 

 

2

 

 

Economy

 

 

313.35

 

 

 

295.29

 

 

 

6

 

 

 

 

308.15

 

 

 

295.53

 

 

 

4

 

 

Composite revenue per shipment

 

$

278.66

 

 

$

270.38

 

 

 

3

 

 

 

$

275.71

 

 

$

268.83

 

 

 

3

 

 

Revenue per hundredweight:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Priority

 

$

23.86

 

 

$

22.74

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

$

23.79

 

 

$

22.41

 

 

 

6

 

 

Economy

 

 

30.88

 

 

 

30.05

 

 

 

3

 

 

 

 

30.62

 

 

 

30.43

 

 

 

1

 

 

Composite revenue per hundredweight

 

$

25.82

 

 

$

24.75

 

 

 

4

 

 

 

$

25.69

 

 

$

24.54

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

 

 

Percent of Revenue

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

2019

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

2019

 

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salaries and employee benefits

 

 

47.3

 

%

 

 

48.8

 

%

 

 

47.1

 

%

 

 

48.5

 

%

Purchased transportation

 

 

10.8

 

 

 

 

10.1

 

 

 

 

10.1

 

 

 

 

10.0

 

 

Rentals

 

 

3.0

 

 

 

 

2.8

 

 

 

 

3.1

 

 

 

 

2.8

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

5.4

 

 

 

 

5.3

 

 

 

 

5.6

 

 

 

 

5.1

 

 

Fuel

 

 

4.7

 

 

 

 

7.2

 

 

 

 

4.1

 

 

 

 

6.8

 

 

Maintenance and repairs

 

 

2.9

 

 

 

 

3.7

 

 

 

 

2.9

 

 

 

 

3.6

 

 

Intercompany charges

 

 

6.3

 

 

 

 

7.1

 

 

 

 

6.4

 

 

 

 

6.8

 

 

Other

 

 

6.6

 

 

 

 

7.4

 

 

 

 

6.7

 

 

 

 

7.5

 

 

Total operating expenses

 

 

87.0

 

 

 

 

92.4

 

 

 

 

86.0

 

 

 

 

91.1

 

 

Operating margin

 

 

13.0

 

%

 

 

7.6

 

%

 

 

14.0

 

%

 

 

8.9

 

%

- 37 -


 

FedEx Freight Segment Revenue

FedEx Freight segment revenue increased 5% in the second quarter of 2021 primarily due to higher revenue per shipment. FedEx Freight segment revenue remained flat in the first half of 2021 due to higher revenue per shipment, partially offset by decreased average daily shipments.

Revenue per shipment increased 3% in both the second quarter and first half of 2021 primarily due to higher base rates reflecting our ongoing revenue quality initiatives, partially offset by lower fuel surcharges and lower weight per shipment. Average daily shipments increased 1% in the second quarter of 2021 due to volumes returning to pre-COVID-19 levels. Despite the increased demand in the second quarter of 2021, demand for our service offerings in the first half of 2021 was negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and related supply chain disruptions, resulting in a 4% decrease in average daily shipments.

The weekly indexed fuel surcharge is based on the average of the U.S. on-highway prices for a gallon of diesel fuel, as published by the Department of Energy. The indexed FedEx Freight fuel surcharge ranged as follows for the periods ended November 30:

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

Low

 

 

21.00

%

 

 

23.50

%

 

 

21.00

%

 

 

23.50

%

High

 

 

21.40

 

 

 

24.00

 

 

 

21.40

 

 

 

24.40

 

Weighted-average

 

 

21.10

 

 

 

23.80

 

 

 

21.20

 

 

 

23.80

 

FedEx Freight Segment Operating Income

FedEx Freight segment operating income increased 79% in the second quarter and 57% in the first half of 2021 driven by continued focus on revenue quality initiatives, aligning our cost structure with current business levels and improving operational efficiencies. These positive factors more than offset the negative impact on volumes from the COVID-19 pandemic and weaker economic conditions for the first half of 2021.

Salaries and employee benefits expense increased only 2% in the second quarter of 2021 primarily due to improved operational productivity, in spite of higher variable incentive compensation expense, merit increases and higher volumes. Salaries and employee benefits expense decreased 3% in the first half of 2021 primarily due to improved operational productivity and lower volumes, partially offset by higher variable incentive compensation expense and merit increases. Purchased transportation expense increased 12% in the second quarter of 2021 primarily due to higher utilization of third-party rail providers and increased rates from third-party motor providers.

Fuel expense decreased 32% in the second quarter and 39% in the first half of 2021 primarily due to lower fuel prices. The net impact of fuel had a slightly negative impact to operating income in the second quarter and first half of 2021 as lower fuel surcharges outpaced decreased fuel prices. See the “Fuel” section of this MD&A for a description and additional discussion of the net impact of fuel on our operating results.

- 38 -


 

FINANCIAL CONDITION

LIQUIDITY

Cash and cash equivalents totaled $8.3 billion at November 30, 2020, compared to $4.9 billion at May 31, 2020. The following table provides a summary of our cash flows for the six-month periods ended November 30 (in millions):

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

Operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

2,471

 

 

$

1,305

 

Noncash charges and credits

 

 

3,808

 

 

 

3,322

 

Changes in assets and liabilities

 

 

(1,049

)

 

 

(2,553

)

Cash provided by operating activities

 

 

5,230

 

 

 

2,074

 

Investing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital expenditures

 

 

(2,826

)

 

 

(3,266

)

Proceeds from asset dispositions and other

 

 

14

 

 

 

4

 

Cash used in investing activities

 

 

(2,812

)

 

 

(3,262

)

Financing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proceeds from short-term borrowings, net

 

 

 

 

 

150

 

Principal payments on debt

 

 

(75

)

 

 

(1,021

)

Proceeds from debt issuances

 

 

970

 

 

 

2,093

 

Proceeds from stock issuances

 

 

431

 

 

 

26

 

Dividends paid

 

 

(341

)

 

 

(339

)

Purchase of treasury stock

 

 

 

 

 

(3

)

Other, net

 

 

(12

)

 

 

(5

)

Cash provided by financing activities

 

 

973

 

 

 

901

 

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash

 

 

67

 

 

 

(1

)

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

 

$

3,458

 

 

$

(288

)

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of period

 

$

8,339

 

 

$

2,031

 

Cash flows from operating activities increased $3.2 billion in the first half of 2021 primarily due to higher net income and lower pension contributions. Capital expenditures decreased during the first half of 2021 primarily due to lower spending related to vehicles and facilities across all of our transportation segments. See the “Capital Resources” section of this MD&A for a discussion of capital expenditures during 2021 and 2020.

During August 2020, FedEx Express issued $970 million of Pass Through Certificates, Series 2020-1AA (the “Certificates”) with a fixed interest rate of 1.875% due in February 2034 utilizing pass through trusts. The Certificates are secured by 19 Boeing aircraft. The payment obligations of FedEx Express in respect of the Certificates are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by FedEx. FedEx Express is using the proceeds from the issuance for general corporate purposes. See Note 4 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding the terms of the Certificates.

- 39 -


 

CAPITAL RESOURCES

Our operations are capital intensive, characterized by significant investments in aircraft, vehicles and trailers, technology, facilities, and package handling and sort equipment. The amount and timing of capital additions depend on various factors, including pre-existing contractual commitments, anticipated volume growth, domestic and international economic conditions, new or enhanced services, geographical expansion of services, availability of satisfactory financing and actions of regulatory authorities.

The following table compares capital expenditures by asset category and reportable segment for the periods ended November 30 (in millions):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percent Change

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2020/2019

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

Three Months

 

 

Six Months

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

Ended

 

 

Ended

 

Aircraft and related equipment

 

$

500

 

 

$

587

 

 

$

1,273

 

 

$

1,128

 

 

 

(15

)

 

 

13

 

Package handling and ground support equipment

 

 

344

 

 

 

267

 

 

 

561

 

 

 

408

 

 

 

29

 

 

 

38

 

Vehicles and trailers

 

 

104

 

 

 

399

 

 

 

141

 

 

 

660

 

 

 

(74

)

 

 

(79

)

Information technology

 

 

177

 

 

 

243

 

 

 

371

 

 

 

465

 

 

 

(27

)

 

 

(20

)

Facilities and other

 

 

277

 

 

 

352

 

 

 

480

 

 

 

605

 

 

 

(21

)

 

 

(21

)

Total capital expenditures

 

$

1,402

 

 

$

1,848

 

 

$

2,826

 

 

$

3,266

 

 

 

(24

)

 

 

(13

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FedEx Express segment

 

$

804

 

 

$

1,061

 

 

$

1,832

 

 

$

2,012

 

 

 

(24

)

 

 

(9

)

FedEx Ground segment

 

 

387

 

 

 

447

 

 

 

591

 

 

 

543

 

 

 

(13

)

 

 

9

 

FedEx Freight segment

 

 

59

 

 

 

131

 

 

 

98

 

 

 

317

 

 

 

(55

)

 

 

(69

)

FedEx Services segment

 

 

129

 

 

 

154

 

 

 

247

 

 

 

305

 

 

 

(16

)

 

 

(19

)

Other

 

 

23

 

 

 

55

 

 

 

58

 

 

 

89

 

 

 

(58

)

 

 

(35

)

Total capital expenditures

 

$

1,402

 

 

$

1,848

 

 

$

2,826

 

 

$

3,266

 

 

 

(24

)

 

 

(13

)

Capital expenditures decreased during the first half of 2021 primarily due to lower spending related to vehicles and facilities across all of our transportation segments, as well as decreased spending on information technology at FedEx Services and FedEx Freight, partially offset by increased spending on package handling equipment at FedEx Ground and higher spending related to aircraft at FedEx Express.

GUARANTOR FINANCIAL INFORMATION

We are providing the following information in compliance with Rule 13-01 of Regulation S-X, “Financial Disclosures about Guarantors and Issuers of Guaranteed Securities” with respect to our senior unsecured debt securities and the Certificates. As of November 30, 2020, we had outstanding $21.9 billion of senior unsecured debt securities and $970 million of Certificates.

Substantially all of the senior unsecured notes were issued by FedEx under a shelf registration statement and are guaranteed by certain direct and indirect subsidiaries of FedEx (“Guarantor Subsidiaries”). FedEx owns, directly or indirectly, 100% of each Guarantor Subsidiary. The guarantees are (1) unsecured obligations of the respective Guarantor Subsidiary, (2) rank equally with all of their other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness, and (3) are full and unconditional and joint and several. If we sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of all of the capital stock or all or substantially all of the assets of a Guarantor Subsidiary to any person that is not an affiliate of FedEx, the guarantee of that Guarantor Subsidiary will terminate and holders of debt securities will no longer have a direct claim against such subsidiary under the guarantee.

Additionally, FedEx fully and unconditionally guarantees the payment obligations of FedEx Express in respect of the Certificates. See Note 6 to the financial statements included in our Annual Report for additional information regarding the terms of the senior unsecured debt securities and Note 4 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding the terms of the Certificates.

- 40 -


 

The following tables present summarized financial information for FedEx (as Parent) and the Guarantor Subsidiaries on a combined basis after transactions and balances within the combined entities have been eliminated.

Parent and Guarantor Subsidiaries

The following table presents the summarized balance sheet information as of November 30, 2020 and May 31, 2020 (in millions):

 

 

 

November 30,

2020

 

 

May 31,

2020

 

Current Assets

 

$

14,448

 

 

$

11,014

 

Intercompany Receivable

 

 

3,866

 

 

 

3,985

 

Total Assets

 

 

81,975

 

 

 

62,089

 

Current Liabilities

 

 

8,392

 

 

 

7,030

 

Intercompany Payable

 

 

 

 

 

519

 

Total Liabilities

 

 

53,505

 

 

 

49,844

 

The following table presents the summarized statement of income information for the six-month period ended November 30, 2020 (in millions):

 

Revenue

 

$

29,141

 

Intercompany Charges, net

 

 

(1,434

)

Operating Income

 

 

2,206

 

Intercompany Charges, net

 

 

71

 

Income Before Income Taxes

 

 

2,354

 

Net Income

 

$

2,028

 

The following tables present summarized financial information for FedEx (as Parent Guarantor) and FedEx Express (as Subsidiary Issuer) on a combined basis after transactions and balances within the combined entities have been eliminated.

Parent Guarantor and Subsidiary Issuer

The following table presents the summarized balance sheet information as of November 30, 2020 and May 31, 2020 (in millions):

 

 

 

November 30,

2020

 

 

May 31,

2020

 

Current Assets

 

$

7,065

 

 

$

4,444

 

Intercompany Receivable

 

 

1,220

 

 

 

3,918

 

Total Assets

 

 

62,730

 

 

 

57,375

 

Current Liabilities

 

 

4,205

 

 

 

3,546

 

Intercompany Payable

 

 

6,233

 

 

 

7,853

 

Total Liabilities

 

 

46,161

 

 

 

45,140

 

 

The following table presents the summarized statement of income information for the six-month period ended November 30, 2020 (in millions):

 

Revenue

 

$

10,988

 

Intercompany Charges, net

 

 

(575

)

Operating Income

 

 

667

 

Intercompany Charges, net

 

 

274

 

Income Before Income Taxes

 

 

1,773

 

Net Income

 

$

1,727

 

- 41 -


 

LIQUIDITY OUTLOOK

In response to current business and economic conditions as referenced above in the “Outlook” section of this MD&A, we have and will continue to actively manage our cash flow, defer certain expenditures and seek to protect capital for unforeseen challenges from the ongoing pandemic. With over $8.3 billion in cash and $3.5 billion in available liquidity under our $2.0 billion five-year credit agreement (the “Five-Year Credit Agreement”) and $1.5 billion 364-day credit agreement (“the 364-Day Credit Agreement” and together with the Five-Year Credit Agreement, the “Credit Agreements”), we believe that our cash and cash equivalents, cash flow from operations and available financing sources will be adequate to meet internal and external liquidity needs. As business and economic conditions improve, we will be evaluating our capital allocation strategy with a priority on strengthening our balance sheet.

Our cash and cash equivalents balance at November 30, 2020 includes $1.9 billion of cash in foreign jurisdictions associated with our permanent reinvestment strategy. We are able to access the majority of this cash without a material tax cost, as the enactment of the TCJA significantly reduced the cost of repatriating foreign earnings from a U.S. tax perspective. We do not believe that the indefinite reinvestment of these funds impairs our ability to meet our U.S. domestic debt or working capital obligations.

Our capital expenditures are expected to be approximately $5.1 billion in 2021, a $0.8 billion decrease from 2020. The slight increase in our expected capital expenditures from the estimate in our Annual Report is due to capital investment for additional capacity initiatives in support of increased volumes. Total capital expenditures will include aircraft modernization at FedEx Express and strategic investments to improve productivity and safety. We invested $1.3 billion in aircraft and related equipment in the first half of 2021 and expect to invest an additional $450 million for aircraft and related equipment during the remainder of 2021. In addition, we are making investments over multiple years of approximately $1.5 billion to significantly expand the FedEx Express Indianapolis hub and approximately $1.5 billion to modernize the FedEx Express Memphis World Hub. We expect these investments in hubs will provide productivity gains. We anticipate that our cash flow from operations will be sufficient to fund our capital expenditures for the remainder of 2021. Historically, we have been successful in obtaining unsecured financing from both domestic and international sources, although the marketplace for such investment capital can become restricted depending on a variety of economic factors.

During the first quarter of 2021, FedEx Express executed a contract amendment rescheduling Boeing 767-300 Freighter aircraft deliveries as follows: 2021 – 18 aircraft; 2022 – 11 aircraft; 2023 – 13 aircraft; and 2024 – 4 aircraft.

We have a shelf registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) that allows us to sell, in one or more future offerings, any combination of our unsecured debt securities and common stock and allows pass through trusts formed by FedEx Express to sell, in one or more future offerings, pass through certificates.

The Five-Year Credit Agreement expires in March 2025 and includes a $250 million letter of credit sublimit. The 364-Day Credit Agreement expires in March 2021. The Credit Agreements are available to finance our operations and other cash flow needs. See Note 1 and Note 4 of the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for a description of the terms and significant covenants of the Credit Agreements.

Contributions to our tax-qualified U.S. domestic pension plans (“U.S. Pension Plans”) are not required during 2021; however, we may make voluntary contributions in the second half of 2021. Our U.S. Pension Plans have ample funds to meet expected benefit payments.

Standard & Poor’s has assigned us a senior unsecured debt credit rating of BBB, a commercial paper rating of A-2 and a ratings outlook of “negative.” Moody’s Investors Service has assigned us an unsecured debt credit rating of Baa2, a commercial paper rating of P-2 and a ratings outlook of “negative.” If our credit ratings drop, our interest expense may increase. If our commercial paper ratings drop below current levels, we may have difficulty utilizing the commercial paper market. If our senior unsecured debt credit ratings drop below investment grade, our access to financing may become limited.

CONTRACTUAL CASH OBLIGATIONS AND OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS

There have been no material changes to the contractual commitments described in Part II, Item 7 in our Annual Report.

We do not have any guarantees or other off-balance sheet financing arrangements, including variable interest entities, which we believe could have a material impact on our financial condition or liquidity.

See Note 9 of the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for additional information on our purchase commitments.

- 42 -


 

OTHER BUSINESS MATTERS

On June 24, 2019, FedEx filed suit in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia seeking to enjoin the U.S. Department of Commerce (the “DOC”) from enforcing prohibitions contained in the Export Administration Regulations against FedEx. On September 11, 2020, the court granted the DOC’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit. On November 5, 2020, we appealed this decision.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make significant judgments and estimates to develop amounts reflected and disclosed in the financial statements. In many cases, there are alternative policies or estimation techniques that could be used. We maintain a thorough process to review the application of our accounting policies and to evaluate the appropriateness of the many estimates that are required to prepare the financial statements of a complex, global corporation. However, even under optimal circumstances, estimates routinely require adjustment based on changing circumstances and new or better information.

GOODWILL. Goodwill is tested for impairment between annual tests whenever events or circumstances make it more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit has fallen below its carrying value. We do not believe there has been any other change of events or circumstances that would indicate that a reevaluation of the goodwill of our reporting units is required as of November 30, 2020, nor do we believe the goodwill of our reporting units is at risk of failing impairment testing. For additional details on goodwill impairment testing, refer to Note 1 to the financial statements included in our Annual Report.

Information regarding our critical accounting estimates can be found in our Annual Report, including Note 1 to the financial statements therein. Management has discussed the development and selection of these critical accounting estimates with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors and with our independent registered public accounting firm.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements in this report, including (but not limited to) those contained in “Income Taxes,” “Business Acquisitions,” “Outlook” and “Liquidity Outlook” and the “General,” “Financing Arrangements,” “Income Taxes,” “Retirement Plans,” “Commitments” and “Contingencies” notes to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, are “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, plans, objectives, future performance and business and the assumptions underlying such statements. Forward-looking statements include those preceded by, followed by or that include the words “will,” “may,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “estimates,” “targets,” “projects,” “intends” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those contemplated (expressed or implied) by such forward-looking statements because of, among other things, potential risks and uncertainties, such as:

the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic;

 

economic conditions in the global markets in which we operate;

 

significant changes in the volumes of shipments transported through our networks, customer demand for our various services or the prices we obtain for our services;

 

anti-trade measures and additional changes in international trade policies and relations;

 

a significant data breach or other disruption to our technology infrastructure;

 

our ability to successfully integrate the businesses and operations of FedEx Express and TNT Express in the expected time frame and at the expected cost and to achieve the expected benefits from the combined businesses;

 

our ability to continue to transform and optimize the FedEx Express international business, particularly in Europe;

 

our ability to successfully implement our business strategy, effectively respond to changes in market dynamics and achieve the anticipated benefits and associated cost savings of such strategies and actions;

 

damage to our reputation or loss of brand equity;

 

our ability to retain and attract employee talent and maintain our company culture;

 

- 43 -


 

the impact of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union and the terms of their future trading relationship beyond December 31, 2020;

 

the price and availability of jet and vehicle fuel;

 

our ability to manage our network capacity and cost structure for capital expenditures and operating expenses, and match it to shifting and future customer volume levels;

 

the impact of intense competition on our ability to maintain or increase our prices (including our fuel surcharges in response to rising fuel costs) or to maintain or grow our revenue and market share;

 

any impacts on our businesses resulting from evolving or new U.S. domestic or international government regulations, laws, policies and actions, which could be unfavorable to our business, including regulatory or other actions affecting data privacy and sovereignty, global aviation or other transportation rights, increased air cargo, pilot flight and duty time and other security or safety requirements, export controls, the use of new technology and accounting, trade (such as protectionist measures or restrictions on free trade), foreign exchange intervention in response to currency volatility, labor (such as joint employment standards, changes to the Railway Labor Act of 1926, as amended, affecting FedEx Express employees or increased minimum wage requirements), environmental (such as global climate change legislation) or postal rules;

 

future changes in tax laws and regulations, interpretations, challenges or judicial decisions related to our tax positions;

 

our ability to successfully complete the acquisition of ShopRunner;

 

our ability to execute and effectively operate, integrate, leverage and grow acquired businesses and to continue to support the value we allocate to these acquired businesses, including their goodwill and other intangible assets, as well as additional costs incurred in connection with the integration of acquired businesses;

 

our ability to maintain good relationships with our employees and avoid attempts by labor organizations to organize groups of our employees, which could significantly increase our operating costs and reduce our operational flexibility;

 

the impact of costs related to lawsuits in which it is alleged that FedEx Ground should be treated as an employer of drivers employed by service providers engaged by FedEx Ground;

 

increased insurance and claims expenses related to vehicle accidents, workers’ compensation claims and general business liabilities;

 

any impact on our business from disruptions or modifications in service by, or changes in the business or financial soundness of, the U.S. Postal Service, which is a vendor and significant customer of FedEx;

 

the impact of any international conflicts or terrorist activities on the United States and global economies in general, the transportation industry or us in particular, and what effects these events will have on our costs or the demand for our services;

 

increasing costs, the volatility of costs and funding requirements and other legal mandates for employee benefits, especially pension and healthcare benefits;

 

our ability to quickly and effectively restore operations following adverse weather or a localized disaster or disturbance in a key geography;

 

our ability to successfully mitigate unique technological, operational and regulatory risks related to our autonomous delivery strategy;

 

constraints, volatility or disruption in the capital markets and our ability to maintain our current credit ratings, commercial paper ratings, senior unsecured debt credit ratings and Credit Agreement financial covenants;

 

widespread outbreak of an illness or any other communicable disease, or any other public health crisis;

 

human capital management risks, including changes in our ability to attract and retain drivers, package and freight handlers, commercial pilots and other employees, as well as health and safety issues;

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the increasing costs of compliance with federal, state and foreign governmental agency mandates (including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.K. Bribery Act) and defending against inappropriate or unjustified enforcement or other actions by such agencies;

 

changes in foreign currency exchange rates, especially in the euro, Chinese yuan, British pound, Canadian dollar, Australian dollar and Mexican peso, which can affect our sales levels and foreign currency sales prices;

 

any liability resulting from and the costs of defending against class-action, derivative and other litigation, such as wage-and-hour, joint employment, securities and discrimination and retaliation claims, and any other legal or governmental proceedings, including the matters discussed in Note 10 of the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements;

 

the outcome of future negotiations to reach new collective bargaining agreements — including with the union that represents the pilots of FedEx Express (the current pilot agreement is scheduled to become amendable in November 2021) and with the union elected in 2015 to represent drivers at a FedEx Freight, Inc. facility in the U.S.;

 

the impact of technology developments on our operations and on demand for our services, and our ability to continue to identify and eliminate unnecessary information-technology redundancy and complexity throughout the organization;

 

the alternative interest rates we are able to negotiate with counterparties pursuant to the relevant provisions of our Credit Agreements in the event the London Interbank Offered Rate or the euro interbank offered rate cease to exist and we make borrowings under the agreements; and

 

other risks and uncertainties you can find in our press releases and SEC filings, including the risk factors identified under the heading “Risk Factors” in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition” in our Annual Report, as updated by our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.

As a result of these and other factors, no assurance can be given as to our future results and achievements. Accordingly, a forward-looking statement is neither a prediction nor a guarantee of future events or circumstances and those future events or circumstances may not occur. You should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this report. We are under no obligation, and we expressly disclaim any obligation, to update or alter any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

As of November 30, 2020, there were no material changes in our market risk sensitive instruments and positions since our disclosures in our Annual Report.

The principal foreign currency exchange rate risks to which we are exposed relate to the euro, Chinese yuan, British pound, Canadian dollar, Australian dollar and Mexican peso. Historically, our exposure to foreign currency fluctuations is more significant with respect to our revenue than our expenses, as a significant portion of our expenses are denominated in U.S. dollars, such as aircraft and fuel expenses. During the first half of 2021, the U.S. dollar weakened relative to the currencies of the foreign countries in which we operate, as compared to the first six months of 2020, and this weakening had a slightly positive impact on our results.

While we have market risk for changes in the price of jet and vehicle fuel, this risk is largely mitigated by our indexed fuel surcharges. For additional discussion of our indexed fuel surcharges, see the “Fuel” section of “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition.”

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

The management of FedEx, with the participation of our principal executive and financial officers, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures in ensuring that the information required to be disclosed in our filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, including ensuring that such information is accumulated and communicated to FedEx management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Based on such evaluation, our principal executive and financial officers have concluded that such disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of November 30, 2020 (the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q).

During our fiscal quarter ended November 30, 2020, no change occurred in our internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of our accounting, finance and legal employees continued working remotely. We continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the design and operating effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.

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PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

For a description of all material pending legal proceedings, see Note 10 of the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Other than the risk factors set forth below, there have been no material changes from the risk factors disclosed in our Annual Report (under the heading “Risk Factors” in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition”) in response to Part I, Item 1A of Form 10-K.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has had certain adverse effects on our business, results of operations and financial condition, and we expect such adverse effects will continue. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the global economy, disrupted global supply chains and created significant volatility and disruption of financial markets. Due to the crucial role we play in moving supply chains and delivering critical relief, we are considered an essential business and we continue to operate under and respond to evolving governmental and other restrictions issued in the U.S. and globally. The disruption of global supply chains and the global economy has materially affected our business, results of operations and financial condition. We expect the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the extent of its effect on our financial condition and results of operations, to be dictated by future developments which remain uncertain and cannot be predicted, such as its duration and spread, the success of efforts to contain it and treat its impact, the possibility of additional subsequent widespread outbreaks, and the impact of actions taken in response. The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and we expect will continue to have, certain negative impacts on our business, including, but not limited to, the following:

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a rapid and significant negative impact on the global economy. The disruption of global supply chains, interruption in economic activity, preventative measures taken to alleviate the pandemic (such as governmental and other restrictions and other responsive measures), and increased economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic have resulted in increased global economic weakness of an unknown duration. Although certain of the responsive measures and COVID-19-related restrictions moderated globally during the second quarter of 2021, the ongoing pandemic, including large outbreaks in various regions, has resulted, and may continue to result, in their reinstitution. Continued weak global economic conditions reduced business-to-business demand for certain of our services in the first half of 2021. The various governmental and other restrictions and slow down of commercial activities in major markets around the world has also led to unprecedented demand for residential delivery services, rivaling our peak holiday season traffic. During 2020, we incurred increased costs associated with this demand and lower composite yields than our typical service mix, and we continued to incur increased costs associated with this demand in the first half of 2021. Prolonged economic weakness, including an extended period of elevated levels of unemployment in the U.S. and other regions, could further reduce discretionary consumer spending and consumer confidence, which could have a further adverse effect on our results of operations.

 

 

We have made significant operational adjustments to align our services with shipping volumes and operating conditions and to comply with evolving governmental orders, rules and regulations. As a result, we are incurring costs associated with network contingencies, including additional personnel to support operations through the peak season during the pandemic. We may continue to incur similar expenses in the future. If we are unable to remain agile and continue to flex our networks to align with shipping volumes, customer needs, market demands and operating conditions, or are unable to continuously respond to evolving governmental policies for the duration of a prolonged period of economic recovery, our business operations could be negatively impacted, which could have a further adverse effect on our results of operations.

 

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We rely on a global workforce and our business demands we take measures to protect the health and safety of our team members, customers and others with whom we do business, while continuing to effectively manage our employees and maintain business operations. We have taken additional measures and are incurring increased operating expenses related to personal protective equipment and medical/safety supplies, as well as additional security and cleaning services in order to protect our team members and customers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and continue to work with customers to accommodate special requests around modified store hours, closings, and delivery alternatives to comply with applicable government restrictions and safety guidance. Due to the size, scope and geographically dispersed nature of our operations, the expenses we incur to protect the health and safety of certain of our employees may be higher than similar expenses incurred by companies in other industries. Additionally, our business operations may be disrupted if a significant portion of our workforce is unable to work safely and effectively due to illness, quarantines, government actions, or other restrictions or measures responsive to the pandemic, or if members of senior management or our Board of Directors (the “Board”) are unable to perform their duties for an extended period of time. Measures taken across our business operations to address health and safety may not be sufficient to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among our team members, customers and others. Therefore, we could face operational disruptions and incur additional expenses, including devoting additional resources to assisting employees diagnosed with COVID-19 and further changing health and safety protocols and processes, that could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

 

 

A significant number of our employees as well as customers and others with whom we do business continue to work remotely in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our business operations may be disrupted, and we may experience increased risk of adverse effects to our business, if a significant portion of our workforce or certain business operations are negatively impacted as a result of remote work arrangements, including due to cyber risks or other disruption to our technology infrastructure. Further, if our FedEx Express Memphis World Hub or another key operating facility experiences closures or worker shortages as a result of COVID-19, whether temporary or sustained, our business operations would be significantly disrupted.

 

 

Cost management and various cost-containment actions implemented across our business in response to the COVID-19 pandemic could hinder execution of our business strategy, including deferral of certain planned capital projects. Planned 2021 capital expenditures are below 2020 levels, as we have decreased planned spending on vehicles and trailers, delayed certain facility expansions and postponed certain information technology initiatives. The COVID-19 pandemic has also delayed completion of capital improvements and certain other initiatives in Europe related to the integration of TNT Express. These actions could result in increased costs to successfully implement our business strategy and effectively respond to changes in market dynamics, and could adversely affect our business and results of operations. For additional discussion, see Part I, Item 1 of our Annual Report under the caption “Strategy.”

 

 

We cannot be certain that loss or delay in the collection of accounts receivable will not have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. For additional discussion, see Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report under the caption “Liquidity Outlook.”

 

To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our business and financial results, it may also have the effect of heightening many other risks described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Such risks include, but are not limited to, additional changes in international trade policies and relations; our ability to successfully integrate the businesses and operations of FedEx Express and TNT Express in the expected time frame and at the expected cost; our strong reputation and the value of the FedEx brand; our ability to manage our capital intensive businesses; changes to the business and financial soundness of the U.S. Postal Service; workforce availability; employee healthcare benefit costs; constraints, volatility or disruption in the capital markets and our ability to access sources of financing and liquidity; and the impact of litigation or claims from customers, team members, suppliers, regulators or other third parties relating to the COVID-19 pandemic or our actions in response to the pandemic.

The United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union (“EU”) could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition. On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom left the EU (“Brexit”). The United Kingdom and EU are now in a transitional period during which the United Kingdom will maintain access to the EU single market and to the global trade deals negotiated by the EU on behalf of its members, and remain subject to EU law, until December 31, 2020.

The uncertainty regarding the status of Brexit has negatively impacted the United Kingdom’s and the EU’s economies. This negative impact will likely continue until the United Kingdom and EU reach and implement a definitive resolution on their future trading relationship. Any additional impact of Brexit will depend on the terms of such resolution, if one is ultimately reached. Even if the United Kingdom maintains access to the EU single market and trade deals following the transition period, Brexit could result in further economic downturn globally. If the United Kingdom ultimately loses access to the EU single market and trade deals, significant market and economic disruption would likely occur, our customer experience, service quality and international operations would likely be negatively impacted, and the demand for our services could be depressed. As of December 17, 2020, the United Kingdom and EU have not reached a resolution regarding their future trading relationship beyond December 31, 2020.

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Additionally, we may face new regulations regarding trade, aviation, tax, security and employees, among others, in the United Kingdom. Compliance with such regulations could be costly, negatively impacting our business, results of operations and financial condition. Brexit could also adversely affect European and worldwide economic and market conditions and could contribute to instability in global financial and foreign exchange markets, including volatility in the value of the euro and the British pound.

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

We did not repurchase any shares of FedEx common stock during the second quarter of 2021.

On January 26, 2016, we announced a stock repurchase program approved by our Board, through which we are authorized to purchase, in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, up to an aggregate of 25 million shares of our common stock. As of December 15, 2020, 5.1 million shares remained authorized for purchase under the January 2016 stock repurchase program, which is the only such program that currently exists. The program does not have an expiration date. See Note 1 of the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for further discussion.

Item 5. Other Information

Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

In June 2020, we announced that given then-current economic and business uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, there would not be an annual incentive compensation plan for executive officers for fiscal 2021. In September 2020, based on strong financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2021, FedEx’s Board, upon the recommendation of its Compensation Committee, approved an annual incentive plan for FedEx’s employees, excluding executive officers (the “fiscal 2021 AIC Plan”). On December 14, 2020, the Board, upon the recommendation of its Compensation Committee, approved including FedEx’s executive officers in the fiscal 2021 AIC Plan. The decision to include executive officers in the plan was based on FedEx’s strong financial results for the first half of fiscal 2021 due in part to the leadership provided by the executive officers and successful execution of FedEx’s strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to continue motivating management to improve FedEx’s overall financial performance, the performance measure selected for the fiscal 2021 AIC Plan is consolidated operating income. The consolidated operating income threshold, target, and maximum objectives under the fiscal 2021 AIC plan are specified levels of fiscal 2021 consolidated operating income. Actual consolidated operating income performance that exceeds the fiscal 2021 target objective for consolidated operating income under the fiscal 2021 AIC plan will result in an above-target payout opportunity, up to the maximum payout amount.

The maximum payout opportunity under the plan for each executive officer is 150% of the target amount. However, the actual payout for plan participants, including all executive officers other than FedEx’s Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (“Chairman and CEO”), may be adjusted downward depending on the achievement level of their respective individual performance objectives, as determined by the Chairman and CEO or President and Chief Operating Officer, as applicable. The AIC payout amount for the Chairman and CEO may be adjusted upward or downward by the independent Board members based on their annual evaluation of his performance, which will consider factors including (but not limited to) FedEx’s stock price performance, market share, analyst ratings, and performance versus competitors. In addition, the independent directors will consider the achievement of the Chairman and CEO’s individual objectives for fiscal 2021.

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The fiscal 2021 AIC target payouts for FedEx’s named executive officers, as a percentage of their respective base salary actually paid during fiscal 2021, are as follows:

Name

     

Target Payout
(as a percentage of base salary)

 

Frederick W. Smith

Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

 

165

%

Michael C. Lenz

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

120

%

Rajesh Subramaniam

President and Chief Operating Officer

 

140

%

Donald F. Colleran

President and Chief Executive Officer

Federal Express Corporation

 

120

%

Robert B. Carter

Executive Vice President,

FedEx Information Services and

Chief Information Officer

 

120

%

Alan B. Graf, Jr.*

Former Chief Financial Officer

 

120

%

*   Mr. Graf served as FedEx’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer until September 21, 2020 and will retire effective December 31, 2020. He is eligible to receive a pro rata payout under the fiscal 2021 AIC plan based on the portion of the plan period during which he is employed.

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Item 6. Exhibits

 

Exhibit

Number

 

Description of Exhibit

 

 

 

*˄10.1

 

Amendment dated September 4, 2020 (but effective as of January 6, 2020), amending the Transportation Agreement dated April 23, 2013 between the United States Postal Service and FedEx Express (the “USPS Transportation Agreement”).

 

 

 

 

*˄10.2

 

Amendment dated September 4, 2020 (but effective as of February 3, 2020), amending the USPS Transportation Agreement.

 

 

 

*˄10.3

 

Amendment dated September 30, 2020 (but effective as of March 2, 2020), amending the USPS Transportation Agreement.

 

 

 

*˄10.4

 

Amendment dated October 22, 2020 (but effective as of June 29, 2020), amending the USPS Transportation Agreement.

 

 

 

*˄10.5

 

Amendment dated October 22, 2020 (but effective as of August 3, 2020), amending the USPS Transportation Agreement.

 

 

 

*˄10.6

 

Amendment dated October 22, 2020 (but effective as of August 31, 2020), amending the USPS Transportation Agreement.

 

 

 

*˄10.7

 

Amendment dated October 22, 2020 (but effective as of March 30, 2020), amending the USPS Transportation Agreement.

 

 

 

    10.8

 

Amendment dated October 30, 2020 (but effective as of October 23, 2020), amending the USPS Transportation Agreement.

 

 

 

*˄10.9

 

Amendment dated November 5, 2020 (but effective as of May 4, 2020), amending the USPS Transportation Agreement.

 

 

 

   15.1

 

Letter re: Unaudited Interim Financial Statements.

 

 

 

22

 

List of Guarantor Subsidiaries and Subsidiary Issuers of Guaranteed Securities.

 

 

 

   31.1

 

Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

 

 

   31.2

 

Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

 

 

   32.1

 

Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

 

 

   32.2

 

Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

 

 

101.1

 

Interactive Data Files pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T formatted in Inline Extensible Business Reporting Language (“Inline XBRL”).

 

 

 

 

104.1

 

Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted in Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101.1).

 

 

*

Information in this exhibit identified by brackets is confidential and has been excluded pursuant to Item 601(b)(10)(iv) of Regulation S-K because it (i) is not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to FedEx if publicly disclosed.

 

˄           Certain attachments have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K because the information contained therein is not material and is not otherwise publicly disclosed. FedEx will furnish supplementally a copy of such attachments to the SEC or its staff upon request.

 

 

    

 

 

 

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SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

 

 

FEDEX CORPORATION

 

 

 

 

Date: December 17, 2020

 

 

/s/ JOHN L. MERINO

 

 

 

JOHN L. MERINO

 

 

 

CORPORATE VICE PRESIDENT AND

 

 

 

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING OFFICER

 

 

 

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