Maersk 2Q Profit Beat on Lower Fuel Prices, Higher Rates -- Earnings Review

By Dominic Chopping

Denmark's AP Moeller-Maersk AS reported results for the second quarter on Wednesday. Here's what we watched:

REVENUE: Revenue fell 6.5% to $9.0 billion compared with an expected $8.77 billion.

NET PROFIT: The Danish shipping company posted a quarterly net profit of $427 million from $141 million a year earlier--beating a $281 million average analysts' forecast from FactSet--as higher freight rates, lower fuel prices and cost cuts helped offset a slump in demand caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization of $1.7 billion beat Maersk's own guidance of slightly above $1.5 billion.

WHAT WE WATCHED:

VOLUMES AND RATES: Maersk, which is considered a barometer of global trade, saw shipping volumes fall 16%, while average freight rates rose 4.5% on year to $1,915 for a FFE--a standard 40-foot container. The company had guided for a 15%-18% volume drop.

Fuel costs fell 37% while unit costs rose 7.3%. Revenue at the shipping unit fell 8.7% to $6.3 billion, while Ebitda at the unit rose 26% to $1.36 billion. Global container trade declined by around 10% in the second quarter. Maersk said, although container demand is expected to gradually improve sequentially in the third quarter, it will significantly decline in 2020 as a whole compared with 2019.

GUIDANCE: Maersk reinstated guidance, expecting to see 2020 pre-items Ebitda of between $6 billion and $7 billion, higher than original guidance of around $5.5 billion. Organic volume growth in its ocean unit is expected to be in line with or slightly lower than the average market growth. Capital expenditure for 2020-21 is seen at $3 billion to $4 billion.

Write to Dominic Chopping at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 19, 2020 05:18 ET (09:18 GMT)

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