Intel stock extends gains after report of possible U.S. government stake
Investing.com -- Hapag Lloyd AG (ETR:HLAG) reaffirmed its full-year outlook after reporting a jump in first-quarter earnings and revenue. But the company warned that ongoing global trade tensions and continued instability in the Red Sea could markedly affect supply and demand in the container shipping market this year.
The container shipping company’s shares jumped nearly 6% after the report.
The German carrier, the world’s fifth-largest by capacity, said it had a solid start to 2025 but flagged “considerable uncertainty” due to the combined effects of trade policies and regional disruptions.
“We will continue to implement our Strategy 2030, vigorously focus on our costs and target additional savings of more than $1 billion within the next 18 months,” said CEO Rolf Habben Jansen.
In the first quarter, the company posted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of €1.01 billion ($1.13 billion), up from €835 million a year earlier and in line with its guidance of around €1 billion. EBIT rose to €462.8 million, slightly below guidance of about €500 million.
Revenue climbed 19% year-over-year to €5.05 billion, supported by nearly 9% growth in both shipping volumes and average freight rates. The increase was driven in part by strong demand, particularly as exporters in China and importers in the U.S. moved quickly ahead of expected tariff changes.
For the full year, Hapag-Lloyd continues to project group EBITDA between €2.4 billion and €3.9 billion, and EBIT between zero and €1.5 billion. However, the company cautioned that its outlook remains highly sensitive to freight rate volatility and broader geopolitical risks
While the container shipping sector received some relief earlier in the week after the U.S. lowered base tariffs on most Chinese goods to 30% from 145%—with China also cutting duties on U.S. imports to 10% from 125%—Hapag-Lloyd said it remains unclear when Red Sea passage will become safe again. The company added that new U.S. tariffs have created uncertainty among customers, initially weighing on demand.
“Against the backdrop of ongoing negotiations between key exporting countries and the U.S. on the mutual dismantling of trade barriers, the short- and medium-term effects of the conflict cannot be reliably assessed,” it said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Deutsche Bank (ETR:DBKGn) upgraded container shipping stocks Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd to Hold from Sell.
"Our long-term view on the container shipping sector remains cautious due to over supply in the market, however we do acknowledge that container shipping stocks are cyclical and momentum driven and near-term freight rates could rise from here as demand on China-U.S. trade lane is set to rebound as inventory is replenished," the bank’s analysts said.