Hapag-Lloyd has concluded the first half of the year 2019 with a significantly higher operating result than in the same period of the previous year.
Its earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT)
increased to EUR 389 million (H1 2018: EUR 91 million). The Group net result
rose to EUR 146 million (H1 2018: EUR -101 million). Earnings before interest,
taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) climbed to EUR 956 million (H1
2018: EUR 427 million). The EBITDA increase of EUR 529 million includes a
positive effect of EUR 217 million caused by the new reporting standards IFRS
16.
“Thanks to higher transport volumes in our core trades, good cost control and
slightly better freight rates, we can look back on a good first half year. This
also allowed us to redeem additional debt through the early repayment of a
senior note,” said Rolf Habben Jansen, Chief Executive Officer of Hapag-Lloyd.
Revenues increased in the first half year to EUR 6.2 billion (H1 2018: EUR 5.4
billion), the transport volume rose by 2 percent to 5,966 TTEU (H1 2018: 5,848
TTEU), and the average freight rate climbed by 5 percent to 1,071 USD/TEU (H1
2018: 1,020 USD/TEU). In contrast, higher bunker prices of USD 429 per tonne
had a negative impact on the result (H1 2018: USD 385 per tonne).
Rolf Habben Jansen: “After a solid first half of 2019, our outlook remains
unchanged, even if we have to deal with more trade restrictions and see
increasing geopolitical risk, which of course could impact growth. In the
second half of the year, we will continue implementing our Strategy 2023 in our
efforts to become the number one for quality.”
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