Earnings Preview: UPS

HARRY R. WEBER

ATLANTA (AP) — UPS Inc., the world's largest shipping carrier, reports third-quarter results on Thursday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period.

OVERVIEW: The Atlanta-based company is expected to post an adjusted profit for the July-September quarter that is smaller than a year ago.

Often seen as an economic bellwether, UPS' financial performance is closely watched. Sales are being hurt by the soft economy, as people ship slower and less often.

The company has been working to cut costs to weather the downturn.

Rival Memphis, Tenn.-based FedEx Corp. said last month that it sees signs of improvement in the global economy as international shipments pick up, but it warned its profit will remain weak at least through the end of the year.

FedEx indicated it might start beefing up schedules for flight crew and hourly personnel as package volume improves, but it didn't expect that to happen soon.