September 11, 2009: UPS announced after-tax profits of $445 million for the second quarter of 2009, up from $401 million in the first quarter.

In the worst economy in our lifetimes, UPS has turned $846 million in after-tax profits in the first six months of the year.

By comparison, FedEx lost $779 million from Dec. 1, 2008 to May 31, 2009—the most recent six months for which the company’s earnings info is available.

UPS’s volume and profits are both down from last year. UPS made $873 million in the second quarter of 2008.