AGL 40.00 No Change ▼ 0.00 (0%)
AIRLINK 129.06 Decreased By ▼ -0.47 (-0.36%)
BOP 6.75 Increased By ▲ 0.07 (1.05%)
CNERGY 4.49 Decreased By ▼ -0.14 (-3.02%)
DCL 8.55 Decreased By ▼ -0.39 (-4.36%)
DFML 40.82 Decreased By ▼ -0.87 (-2.09%)
DGKC 80.96 Decreased By ▼ -2.81 (-3.35%)
FCCL 32.77 No Change ▼ 0.00 (0%)
FFBL 74.43 Decreased By ▼ -1.04 (-1.38%)
FFL 11.74 Increased By ▲ 0.27 (2.35%)
HUBC 109.58 Decreased By ▼ -0.97 (-0.88%)
HUMNL 13.75 Decreased By ▼ -0.81 (-5.56%)
KEL 5.31 Decreased By ▼ -0.08 (-1.48%)
KOSM 7.72 Decreased By ▼ -0.68 (-8.1%)
MLCF 38.60 Decreased By ▼ -1.19 (-2.99%)
NBP 63.51 Increased By ▲ 3.22 (5.34%)
OGDC 194.69 Decreased By ▼ -4.97 (-2.49%)
PAEL 25.71 Decreased By ▼ -0.94 (-3.53%)
PIBTL 7.39 Decreased By ▼ -0.27 (-3.52%)
PPL 155.45 Decreased By ▼ -2.47 (-1.56%)
PRL 25.79 Decreased By ▼ -0.94 (-3.52%)
PTC 17.50 Decreased By ▼ -0.96 (-5.2%)
SEARL 78.65 Decreased By ▼ -3.79 (-4.6%)
TELE 7.86 Decreased By ▼ -0.45 (-5.42%)
TOMCL 33.73 Decreased By ▼ -0.78 (-2.26%)
TPLP 8.40 Decreased By ▼ -0.66 (-7.28%)
TREET 16.27 Decreased By ▼ -1.20 (-6.87%)
TRG 58.22 Decreased By ▼ -3.10 (-5.06%)
UNITY 27.49 Increased By ▲ 0.06 (0.22%)
WTL 1.39 Increased By ▲ 0.01 (0.72%)
BR100 10,445 Increased By 38.5 (0.37%)
BR30 31,189 Decreased By -523.9 (-1.65%)
KSE100 97,798 Increased By 469.8 (0.48%)
KSE30 30,481 Increased By 288.3 (0.95%)

COPENHAGEN: Shares in shipping giant Maersk dived on Thursday after it warned of an uncertain 2024 earnings outlook linked to an oversupply of container vessels and Yemeni rebel attacks in the Red Sea.

The downbeat forecast came after its 2023 earnings were hit by overcapacity in the shipping sector, which caused a drop in freight rates.

The group reported a more than sevenfold drop in its net profit last year to $3.8 billion, compared to $29.2 billion in 2022.

Its revenue reached $51 billion compared to $81.5 billion the previous year.

Freight rates had soared in 2022 due to capacity shortages amid high demand following the end of Covid pandemic restrictions.

“The high demand eventually started to normalise as congestions eased and consumer demand declined leading to an inventory overhang,” Maersk said in its earnings report.

This “correction” resulted “in rapid and steep declines in shipped volumes and rates” starting at the end of the third quarter of 2022, it added.

The “oversupply challenges” in the maritime shipping industry are expected to “materialise fully” over the course of 2024, Maersk said.

The group lowered its 2024 forecast for its core profit — earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation — to a range of between $1.0 billion and $6.0 billion.

“High uncertainty remains around the duration and degree of the Red Sea disruption, with the duration from one quarter to full year reflected in the guidance range,” Maersk said.

Maersk’s stock price sank more than 13 percent on the Copenhagen stock exchange after the release of the earnings report, which also included the announcement of the suspension of its share buyback plan.

Chairman Robert Maersk Uggla and CEO Vincent Clerc said in the earnings report that “2023 ended with multiple distressing attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden”.

They noted that two of the company’s ships had been targeted.

“We are horrified by the escalation of this unfortunate conflict,” they said.

Maersk and other shipping companies have redirected ships away from the Red Sea, taking the longer and costlier route around the southern tip of Africa.

The Red Sea usually carries about 12 percent of global maritime trade.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels have harassed ships travelling through the Red Sea since November.

They say they are targeting vessels linked to Israel, the United States and Britain, to show support for Palestinians in the war in Gaza.

Their attacks have triggered reprisals by US and British forces.

Comments

Comments are closed.