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Maersk's Buoyant Shipping Outlook; Breaking the Logistics IPO Logjam

By Paul Page

 

The methanol-fueled Ane Maersk, at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, in January. PHOTO: SEONG CHO/BLOOMBERG NEWS

Growing disruption in international shipping operations is helping turn around financial prospects for container lines at a remarkable pace. A.P. Moller-Maersk just raised its full-year guidance for the second time in barely over a month, the WSJ’s Ben Glickman reports, and offered stark evidence of how shipping’s Red Sea diversions are helping boost global freight rates and carrier earnings. The company says it now expects free cash flow of at least $1 billion, compared with its previous outlook for at least negative $2 billion. Container lines entered 2024 with capacity far ahead of weak demand and a slew of new vessels on order. But the attacks by Yemen’s Houthis have sent carriers on long, capacity-consuming routes around the region. Drewry’s measure of global freight rates has skyrocketed more than 56% since late April, and rates from Shanghai to Los Angeles are up nearly 60% in the past month.

  • Maersk Line is canceling services at some ports amid growing congestion at Asian container terminals. (gCaptain)
 
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Quotable

“Coupled with rising wage costs, the increase in input prices underpinned the sharpest upturn in output charges for a year.”

— Pollyanna De Lima of S&P Global Market Intelligence, on rising cost pressures reported by Asia manufacturers even as factory activity improved in May.
 

Economy & Trade

The floor of the New York Stock Exchange last month. PHOTO: MICHAEL NAGLE/ZUMA PRESS

A long drought in new public stock listings in the transport and logistics sector may be ending. Bankers say some companies are starting to explore initial public stock offerings again following a fallow period marked by tight funding and weak freight demand. The WSJ Logistics Report’s Paul Berger writes the pipeline is being primed by companies owned by founders, families and private-equity firms that put sale and public listing plans on pause in recent years because of the roller coaster freight cycle. Potentially leading the way is Lineage Logistics. The largest cold-storage business in North America may target a valuation of $30 billion or more in a listing later this year. Some of the tech-infused startups that fueled IPO hopes may still be on the sidelines, however. With money still tight and freight markets uncertain, investors are said to be looking for strong track records and profitability.

 
 

Number of the Day

57.8

The Logistics Managers’ Index measure for transportation pricing in May, up 13.7 points from April and coinciding with a 4-percentage-point decline in the index for transportation capacity.

 

In Other News

Canada’s government and negotiators for the union representing border agents started a new round of talks in a bid to avoid a labor disruption at the border. (WSJ)

A key measure of U.S. factory activity fell to a three-month low and the index for new orders dropped to its lowest level in nearly a year. (MarketWatch)

A private gauge of China’s factory activity expanded in May at its fastest pace in almost two years, in contrast to the official index’s contraction. (WSJ)

Mexico’s peso slid sharply against the dollar following the election victory by the country’s ruling party. (WSJ)

Fleet-tracking software business CalAmp filed for bankruptcy protection with plans to have a secured lender swap its bonds for equity. (WSJ)

Taseko Mines suspended its mining operations in British Columbia after its unionized workers went on strike. (WSJ)

Swiss commodities trader Trafigura hired Otabek Karimov, the former vice president for commerce and logistics at Russia’s Rosneft Oil. (WSJ)

Parts of the river Rhine in Germany were closed to cargo shipping after heavy rains raised water levels. (Reuters)

Australia ordered funds linked to a Chinese businessman to cut their stakes in a rare-earths miner, in a sign of the efforts underway to control minerals supply chains. (Financial Times)

Benchmark copper prices recently hit an all-time high on expectations for strong AI demand and a Chinese economic rebound. (Nikkei Asia)

Two energy companies are building a $1 billion liquefied petroleum gas and bulk liquids export facility at Canada’s Port of Prince Rupert. (CBC)

An arm of Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil company is buying U.K.-based tanker owner and pool operator Navig8 for about $1.03 billion. (Splash 247)

Inchcape Shipping Services is buying Grieg Logistics, Norway’s largest port terminal operator. (TradeWinds)

Egypt plans to build its first shipbreaking facility at the Damietta Port. (Maritime Executive)

Suppliers to Express were told they must cut pricing for open and future purchase orders and extend payment terms for the bankrupt apparel retailer. (Sourcing Journal)

Canada licensed a Vancouver-based startup to start exporting psychedelics to Australia for medical use. (Bloomberg)

 

About Us

Paul Page is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Reach him at paul.page@wsj.com.

Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team: @PaulPage, @bylizyoung and @pdberger. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report on X at @WSJLogistics.

 
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