Dubai Courier Firm Aramex Buys Florida MyUS for $265 Mln

An employee walks at the distribution warehouse unit at the Aramex Emirates head offices and freight and logistics facility at Dubai Logistics City in Jebel Ali April 10, 2012. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh/File Photo
An employee walks at the distribution warehouse unit at the Aramex Emirates head offices and freight and logistics facility at Dubai Logistics City in Jebel Ali April 10, 2012. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh/File Photo
TT

Dubai Courier Firm Aramex Buys Florida MyUS for $265 Mln

An employee walks at the distribution warehouse unit at the Aramex Emirates head offices and freight and logistics facility at Dubai Logistics City in Jebel Ali April 10, 2012. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh/File Photo
An employee walks at the distribution warehouse unit at the Aramex Emirates head offices and freight and logistics facility at Dubai Logistics City in Jebel Ali April 10, 2012. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh/File Photo

Dubai-listed courier firm Aramex said on Wednesday it had bought Florida-based e-commerce company Access USA Shipping LLC (MyUS) for about $265 million in an all-cash deal.

The transaction, after having obtained all the necessary regulatory approvals, marks Aramex’s largest acquisition to date, it said.

Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ holds a 22.32% stake in Aramex, transferred to ADQ-owned Abu Dhabi Ports in January. Abu Dhabi Ports made its stock market debut in February, raising 4 billion dirhams ($1.09 billion).

"As a result of this acquisition, MyUS will be fully integrated into Aramex's business", operating as a unit of its courier segment, Aramex said in a statement.

It said MyUS will retain its brand and "be complementary to Shop & Ship, Aramex's subscription-based last mile e-commerce solutions platform".

Aramex said the announced purchase price is subject to "customary adjustments.”

The takeover will help Aramex grow its cross-border express business by growing and diversifying its customer base and expanding coverage, it said.

Aramex said that in 2021, MyUS generated more than $100 million in revenue and delivered 1.1 million packages to customers who shop from retailers based in the US, UK and China. The company has about 180,000 active customers.

"Our shareholders will immediately see the impact on financial performance, and over the long term we can unlock further value through operational and cost synergies," Aramex Chief Executive Othman Aljeda said in the statement.

MyUS CEO Ramesh Bulusu said in the same statement the company would take its services to new markets by leveraging "Aramex's extensive global network... in markets exhibiting very attractive characteristics such as the MENA region, the UK and Australia."



US Service Sector Sags in June as Orders Sink

The ISM reported on Monday that manufacturing activity had deteriorated further in June.- Reuters
The ISM reported on Monday that manufacturing activity had deteriorated further in June.- Reuters
TT

US Service Sector Sags in June as Orders Sink

The ISM reported on Monday that manufacturing activity had deteriorated further in June.- Reuters
The ISM reported on Monday that manufacturing activity had deteriorated further in June.- Reuters

A measure of US services sector activity slumped to a four-year low in June amid a sharp drop in orders, potentially hinting at a loss of momentum in the economy at the end of the second quarter.

The Institute for Supply Management said its nonmanufacturing purchasing managers (PMI) index dropped to 48.8 last month, the lowest level since May 2020, from 53.8 in May. It was the second time this year that the PMI had dropped below 50, which indicates contraction in the services sector.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the services PMI slipping to 52.5. The PMI fell below the 49 level that the ISM says over time generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy. The survey's business activity measure dropped to 49.6, the first contraction since May 2020, from 61.2 in May.

The ISM reported on Monday that manufacturing activity had deteriorated further in June.

The surveys, however, likely understate the economy's health, with so-called hard data like consumer spending suggesting a moderate pace of growth last quarter. The economy is adjusting to higher interest rates, which are slowing demand.

Growth estimates for the second quarter are around a 2% annualized rate. The economy grew at a 1.4% pace in the January-March quarter.

The survey's new orders measure dropped to 47.3, the lowest since December 2022, from 54.1 in May. Services employment continued to decline. That would suggest softer job growth in the months ahead, though the sentiment surveys have not been reliable predictors of payroll gains.

The video player is currently playing an ad. You can skip the ad in 5 sec with a mouse or keyboard00:12Sectors UpClose: US election pollutes outlook for clean energy funds

The government's closely watched employment report on Friday is likely to show nonfarm payrolls increased by 190,000 jobs in June after rising 272,000 in May, according to a Reuters survey of economists. The unemployment rate is forecast unchanged at 4%.

Services inflation slowed a bit last month. The ISM's prices paid measure for services inputs slipped to 56.3 from 58.1 in May. That suggests the disinflation trend was back on track after price pressures flared up in the first quarter.