LITTLE ROCK — FedEx Corp., operator of the world’s largest cargo airline, maintained its fullyear profit forecast amid increasing concern that U.S. economic growth may slow.

The shares rose the most since October after Memphis-based FedEx reaffirmed its fiscal 2013 earnings outlook of $6.20 to $6.60 a share, excluding costs associated with a voluntary buyoutprogram.

FedEx, an economic bellwether because it moves goods as varied as pharmaceuticals, financial documents and electronics, beat fiscal second-quarter sales estimates while struggling with falling profit at its express division. That drop is caused in part by customers’ long-term shift to cheaper shipping options.

“It was a pretty impressive quarter, especially given the economy,” said Logan Purk, an Edward Jones & Co. analyst in St. Louis. “Something else the market likes is that in this sluggish environment they came out and maintained their guidance” for full-year profit.

FedEx shares rose 84 cents, less than 1 percent, to close at $93.20.

The standoff between President Barack Obama’s administration and congressional Republicans overmore than $600 billion in federal tax increases and spending cuts has been a cause for concern among the nation’s businesses. Failure to reach an accord would trigger higher taxes and reduced government spending starting in January.

“The mounting uncertainty in the U.S. related to fiscal policies and their potential to impact earnings by further restraining economic growthis a concern,” FedEx’s Chief Financial Officer Alan Graf said in a statement Wednesday.

Earnings will fall to $1.25 to $1.45 a share in the third quarter ending in February, FedEx also said. The range’s top end matched the average analyst estimate.

“I just want to emphasize that calendar year 2013 outlook could swing either direction depending upon policy outcomes, especially with the ‘fiscal cliff’ issues in the U.S. and certainly issues in Europe,” Mike Glenn, chief executive officer of FedEx Services, said on a conference call with analysts and investors.

FedEx in October announced a $1.7 billion effort to reduce costs and improve earnings. About $1.55 billion of the work will involve FedEx Express. The company will record a charge of $550 million to $650 million, or $1.09 to $1.29 a share, in the fiscal fourth quarter related to the voluntary buyout program, expected to be accepted by “thousands” of workers.

“We expect to begin realizing the benefits of these programs in fiscal year 2014 and anticipate these savings will be substantially realized by the end of fiscal 2015,” Graf said on the call.

Net income in the second quarter ended Nov. 30 fell 12 percent to $438 million, or $1.39 a share, from $497 million, or $1.57, a year earlier, FedEx said. The profit, which included 11 cents in costs related to Hurricane Sandy, trailed the $1.41 average analyst estimate compiled by Bloomberg.

Sales rose 4.9 percent to $11.1 billion, topping the $10.8 billion average estimate. Operating income for FedEx Express, the largest segment, fell 33 percent to $230 million from $342 million, while revenue increased 4.2 percent to $6.86 billion.

FedEx also said it agreed to buy four additional Boeing Co. 767-300 freighters, bringing to 50 the number it has on order. Deliveries are to begin in fiscal 2014.

The shipping company also postponed deliveries of two Boeing 777 freighters to fiscal 2016 from fiscal 2015“in order to better match capacity timing to global demand.”

FedEx said it handled a record 19.8 million packages Monday, surpassing the 19 million it had forecast to be its peak on Dec. 10. The company expects volume over the full holiday shipping period to be up more than 13 percent from last year, as several big customers are seeing record sales, said Dave Rebholz, CEO of FedEx Ground.

Business, Pages 25 on 12/20/2012