Deutsche Post DHL announced an 18.5 percent growth in operating earnings to EUR646 million (US$879 million) in the third quarter of the year against the same period last year, and lifted its full-year outlook for 2011 as it continued to benefit from the growing Internet retailing business and emerging Asian markets.

All of the group’s divisions contributed to its strong performance, a company statement said.

Revenue rose 2.5 percent to EUR13.1 billion (US$17.8 billion) and net profit climbed to EUR385 million ($524 million) between July and September 2011 from EUR 226 million ($307 million) in the prior year’s quarter.

“The mail division profited from its parcel business, which continued to benefit from the rapid growth of Internet retailing. DHL’s excellent positioning in the growth markets of the world—particularlyAsia—enabled another powerful performance of the company’s logistics divisions,” it added.

With a strong third-quarter performance, Deutsche Post DHL has raised its earnings guidance for the full year, expecting the group’s earnings before interest and taxes to be above EUR2.4 billion ($3.2 billion) in 2011, from its previous projections of between EUR2.2 billion and EUR2.4 billion.

“We are located in all of the regions and markets that continue to generate particularly strong growth: in the emerging markets of Asia, the Middle East and Latin America as well as in the dynamic German parcel market,” said CEO Frank Appel.

In the first nine months of the fiscal year 2011, revenues rose by 3.2 percent to EUR38.8 billion while operating earnings rose by more than 40 percent to EUR1.8 billion.