Briefcase

UPS profits slim on drop in volume

United Parcel Service Inc. on Thursday reported a slim increase in its quarterly profit as U.S. package volume dropped sharply, increasing concerns of market share losses to rivals such as FedEx Corp.

UPS, the world’s largest package delivery company, reported a 1 percent increase in fourth-quarter net profit to $866 million, or 76 cents a share from a year ago, amid higher operating costs.

Shares of the company, often seen as a gauge of economic health because of the array of goods it ships, closed down $1.49 to close Thursday at $74.01 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Media

World Online sites finalists for ‘Edgies’

Web sites of World Online are finalists in the nation’s premier online journalism competition.

With finalists in four categories, World Online — the Journal-World’s online partner — is among the leaders in nominations for “Digital Edge” awards. Boston.com, a Web site for The Boston Globe, is a finalist in five categories.

The awards, known as “Edgies,” will be presented in March by the Newspaper Association of America’s New Media Federation.

Here are World Online’s finalists, in categories for newspapers with circulations below 75,000:

Technology

Microsoft earnings up on server sales

Microsoft Corp. said Thursday its fiscal second-quarter earnings more than doubled, beating Wall Street estimates with strong sales of server software and its Halo 2 video game.

For the final three months of 2004, Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft earned $3.46 billion, or 32 cents per share, compared with earnings of $1.55 billion, or 14 cents per share, in the same period last year.

Operating income for the company’s server and tools unit rose to $2.52 billion, compared with $2.15 billion a year earlier.

Microsoft also reported its first-ever profitable quarter in its home and entertainment division, fueled by strong sales for its Xbox Live online gaming service and Halo 2.