Articles

Even amidst global uncertainty, Chinese Leasing is going strong as evidenced by two major sale and leaseback deals this week—Golar LNG’s $1.2 billion agreement and Seanergy Maritime’s two-vessel transaction—both backed by Chinese leasing companies. Companies: Golar LNG, Seanergy Maritime, China Development Bank Financial Leasing, Gimi MS Corporation , Seanergy Maritime, China Huarong Shipping Financial Leasing

CHINESE OIL IMPORTS DOWN YoY
SHIPPING STOCKS LOSE MOMENTUM, AGAIN

While much talk has been centered around the new administration’s intention to use tariffs, something which could disrupt trade routes – tariffs are not new to the world let alone shipping. Companies: Hapag-Lloyd, CMB, ICBC, BOCOMM, Eastern Pacific Shipping, SPDB

The United States has created numerous humanitarian programs throughout many years. These programs deliver a wide assortment of commodities to other nations in need around the globe. Companies: Food for Peace , United States Agency for International Development, Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust , Food for Progress, McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition, United States Department of Agriculture , Department of Defense , Commodity Credit Corporation , Maersk Line Ltd, Matson, APL, Liberty Maritime, MARAD, Government Accountability Office

Last week, the ballroom of the Grand Elysée hotel in Hamburg was packed with nearly 500 guests for our 23rd Marine Money conference in the Hanseatic city.

While 2025 has not quite seen the same run-up in asset valuations, hire rates, and equity prices as the previous year, many things remain extremely similar. For one, investor appetite for shipping debt remains high. Companies: MPC Container Ships, Ocean Yield , Navigator Holdings, Arctic Securities , DNB Research

As we discussed before, spin-offs seem to be back in vogue, with the announcement by Euroseas that they completed their spin-off Euroholdings, and a proposal by Costamare to spin-off their dry bulk business into Costamare Bulkers. Companies: Euroseas, Euroholdings, Costamare, Costamare Bulkers, Toro Corp, Castor Maritime, Robin Energy Ltd, Nasdaq, Icon Energy,

It is not often that we hear about a deal getting done in a one-month window. Of course, we have seen deals cross the finish line quickly, especially in markets like Norwegian bonds when the market has an endless appetite as it has recently. Companies: BlackRock, CK Hutchison, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, S&P Global, Blackstone, KKR, Global Infrastructure Partners, Mediterranean Shipping Company (“MSC”), Terminal Investment Ltd

As we have discussed previously, the recent trends in shipping seem to point to more companies going private, or at the very least staying private. Companies: Euroseas, Euroholdings, Costamare Inc, Costamare Bulkers Holdings Limited, Morgan Stanley, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Neptune Maritime Leasing, New York Stock Exchange

The past five years have given us black swan after black swan. As mentioned at our Marine Money forum in New York City in November 2024, the current shipping environment can be described as a pond full of them. Companies: Danaos, Citigroup, BNP Paribas, Alpha Bank, Credit Agricole CIB, Eurobank, KfW-Ipex, Bank of America, SEB, UBS, E.Sun, Norton Rose Fulbright , Hapag-Lloyd, the Yangzijiang, Dalian and Huangpu Wenchong

John Fredriksen keeps on surprising the shipping industry. As we wrote about a few weeks ago, and what the industry as a whole was raving about, was Fredriksen’s recent shortlist of shipping divestments. Companies: Avance Gas, Golden Ocean Group Limited , CMB.Tech, Seatankers., Frontline, SFL, Flex LNG, Star Bulk , Famatown Finance, Eagle Bulk, Oaktree, International Seaways, Euronav, Scorpio, DHT

Hahn & Co. initially invested in SK Shipping in 2018, acquiring an 83.65% stake in the business for approximately $1.0 billion as part of the PE firms’ strategy to invest in the shipping sector. Companies: HMM,

U.S. AND EUROPEAN GAS PRICES DIVERGE
CRUDE AND PRODUCT SHIPPING STOCKS UP

There have been many significant movements in the macro-outlook for shipping, largely caused by an influx of new geopolitical concerns, and it was all the talk at Marine Money Hamburg last week, as discussed in the summary below. Companies: Ocean Yield ASA, Nordea, Arctic Securities

This week we received Dealogic’s “Marine Finance Rankings Syndicated Loans—Fourth Quarter 2024,” revealing reversals of trends substantiated through previous quarters, and revealing information about the debt and loan market in our industry throughout 2024.

WILL CONTAINER CHARTER RATES FOLLOW FREIGHT RATES?
THE TIDE HAS LIFTED ALL BOATS (SECTORS)

What financing sources are owners taking advantage of today? One is clearly the bond market, which remains open for both new issuances. Companies: Ocean Yield , MPC Container Ships, Arctic Securities, Pareto Securities, Clarksons Securities and Fearnley Securities, Stena AB, Stena International, Hapag-Lloyd, Danaos, Star, KfW IPEX-Bank , Carisbrooke Shipping, Frontline Ltd, ING, First Citizens, Crédit Agricole, SEB, EnTrust, Hayfin , Nordic American Tankers

John Fredriksen has historically been more of buyer than a seller. In recent years, though, the GOAT has been doing some divesting - and not surprisingly he’s been fetching premium valuations. Companies: DNB Markets, Schjødt AS, Golden Ocean Group Limited, CMB.Tech (“CMBT”), Euronav, Avance Gas, BW LPG, EXMAR LPG

INVESTORS REMAIN CAUTIOUS
SHIPPING STOCKS CONTINUE TO WEAKEN

In Q4 of 2024, we released a whitepaper on Maritime Venture Financing, where we illustrated a snapshot of the current venture investing spectrum as well as the startup trends we have seen over the last couple of years. Companies: TMV, theDOCK, Motion Venture