FedEx Corp. announced that its Board of Directors has concluded a comprehensive assessment of the role of FedEx Freight as part of its portfolio and has decided to pursue a full separation of FedEx Freight through the capital markets, creating a new publicly traded company. The separation is expected to be achieved in a tax-efficient manner for FedEx stockholders and executed within the next 18 months. As two industry-leading public companies, FedEx and FedEx Freight will continue to pursue their growth strategies. The separation will allow for more customized operational execution along with more tailored investment and capital allocation strategies to serve the unique and evolving needs of both the global parcel and LTL markets. They will also maintain the strategic advantages of cooperation on key commercial, operational, and technology initiatives. Customers of both businesses will continue to enjoy the same superior service, speed, and coverage they have come to expect from FedEx.

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 2.1% in September after rising 1.7% in August. In September, the index equaled 113.2 (2015=100) compared with 115.6 in August. “After increasing a total of 2.1% in July and August, tonnage fell by that amount in September,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Freight has been very choppy this year, but despite the latest drop, tonnage is up 1.8% since hitting a low in January. No doubt, the climb up has been slow and difficult as manufacturing activity remains flat, but the trend is up, not down.” August’s increase was revised down slightly from our September 24 press release. Compared with September 2023, the index fell 0.9%, after rising 0.6% in August from a year earlier.

Futures rose 0.5 percent in New York. Prices seesawed on Tuesday after President Donald Trump fired Tillerson, whom he had disagreements with over key foreign policy issues. The move could have implications for U.S. sanctions on Iran, which could impact the latter’s oil industry and exports, Facts Global Energy and Royal Bank of Canada warned. “The risk is now much higher that President Trump will not waive the sanctions when it is time to do so in May, thus derailing the deal,” said Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodities analyst at SEB AB. Click Read More below for additional information.